Old thread: Become a Truthful Seeker...

Assalamu laikum Mustafa,
I think that you can do, please repost (create a new topic) the the things that not shown properly when you done, email-me at [email protected] I'll remove the duplicate (I mean the bad one).

Thanks, Adji

One last note about the posts above: They were all posted on the old IslamiCity discussion board between the dates 5th August 2003 and 27th August 2003.

Al-hamdu lillah, the re-posting of all the thread in a proper manner is finished now.

As you, sister Nausheen, stated before elsewhere at this forum, it's been a long task to quote all the posts one by one. But it was necessary, it seems. And reading all of them is surely a much more tedious task!

Please delete the other thread which cannot be viewed properly and neatly, at least in the computers I use.

POST 12: By Ibn Hanbal:

All praise is for Allah who has made the scholars the inheritors of the Prophets, and the Peace and blessings of Allah be upon the Beloved Prophet, our master Muhammad.

It is still strange to find people who claim to follow the Qur'an and Sunnah, yet they do not accept the evidences others show to them. Even stranger is the one who claims to be free of taqleed, but insists on blindly following the writings of some authors and a minority of scholars. Your lack of etiquette towards our master, our Shaykh, Shaykh 'Abdul Qadir [Allah's Mercy be upon him and may Allah be pleased with him!], in an earlier post was what led me to post a reply before, and it is interesting to note that Muhammad Salih al-Munajjid [the author of the piece you have posted] differs with you in his attitude towards our Shaykh.

The aggressive attitude against Ahl ul-Sunnah, the accusations of innovation and shirk [associating partners with Allah], these are all the qualities of the extremists and the Khawarij. People should be advised to avoid websites with such persuasions, one of them being under the supervision of Muhammad al-Munajjid and others. I would advise people to read the advice Shaykh Gibril Haddad has given concerning them [http://mac.abc.se/home/onesr/f/Islamqa.com%20typifies%20Wahhabism.htm]. Many of such people accuse the people of Tasawwuf, speak ill of others, and abuse the righteous scholars, our predecessors. The foremost scholar of Ahl ul-Sunna in Makkah today, the direct descendent of the Beloved Prophet, the Muhaddith, al-Shaykh Muhammad ibn 'Alawi al-Maliki al-Makki has advised students to hold back their tongues against the scholars, the majority of whom have accepted the correct Islamic belief as understood by the Imam Abul Hasan al-Ash'ari and the majority of the scholars. Some people justify their attacks by quotin from the corrupted text of al-Ibana, which has not reached us in its original form [as pointed out by the scholars, including the verifying Hadith master, Hafidh Ibn Asakir in his Tabyin Kadhib al-Muftari], in order to put emphasis on their literal and almost anthropomorphic understanding of the attributes of Allah, our Lord, Nothing is like Him whatsoever. This is an issue which some speak about among the common people, trying to confuse them and those who have not learnt much about the subject. For anyone interested, who has an open mind, they can read the following advice from the Makkan Hadith scholar [Shaykh Muhammad ibn 'Alawi], may Allah bless him and preserve him!

The Ashaira by Shaykh Muhammad ibn 'Alawi:
http://65.39.144.73/ISLAM/misc/ashari.htm

A separate biography and important points on the righteous Imam Abu al-Hasan:

Imam Abu al-Hasan al-Ash'ari
http://65.39.144.73/ISLAM/misc/al_ashari.htm

Firstly, ahl al-kalam does not mean "philosophers", whoever translated that does not know either Arabic or English. Kalam can be translated simply as Theology, or dialectic theology. The science and name originally started out being used as a tool by the misguided sects, such as the Mu'tazilah, the Murjia the Jahmiyya, and others. The nature of it was to speculate and develop arguments concerning faith and matters of belief, also to go into details concerning these issues. Its specialization was in developing arguments in matters of belief and theology. The position of the righteous salaf was to simply accept the correct belief and tenents, without going into the exact nature of details. This is why the early salaf spoke ill of kalam itself [due to those who used it], they considered it an unnecessary and reprehensible innovation. The early sects led themselves into innovation and misguidance through excessive argumentation and speculation, this was the danger of kalam. When the sects who misused kalam and those who spread arguments concerning matters of belief grew in numbers, the scholars in fact enjoined the need of using authentic arguments [dialectic theology] to refute the false sects. From this developed the authentic scholars of kalam, who based themselves on the primary sources and principles of Ahl al-Sunna. However, the scholars always point out that it is not necessary for the common people to learn kalam or to debate on the nature of certain issues in belief, this is why the Hujjat ul-Islam Imam al-Ghazali [May Allah be pleased with him] wrote a work detailing such issues [such as the right and wrong in the science of kalam], titled Iljam al-'awwam 'an 'ilm al-Kalam [Restraining the laypersons from the science of Theology].

Concerning the narration you have mentioned from Sayyidina 'Umar ibn 'Abdul 'Aziz [May Allah be pleased with him], what relevance does this have to the discussion and my post?

1) This report is dealing with the misguided sects and groups who keep to themselves, following a methodology other than that of the majority.

2) This report is not related to the role of scholars and their understanding. In fact, Sayyidina 'Umar ibn 'Abdul 'Aziz states that a certain people will seclude themselves, it has no relation to the authority of the righteous scholars over the common people. Nor does this report mention scholars.

3) I stated that scholars may speak at a level that we may not comprehend. I did not say that the scholars hide knowledge and have a hidden methodology. What relation does the narration have with this? What Ibn al-Jawzi mentions is speaking of religion in general. For everyone with a mind knows that not every can person can comprehend the details of rulings. For example, not everyone is at a level of knowledge to understand Usul al-Fiqh. That does not mean that they cannot make an effort to learn, study, and eventually reach that level of knowledge. Authority is not given to those who lack knowledge, nor do we have to accept the understanding of a layperson. Understanding the procedure for heart surgery is not exclusively meant for one group of people to be discussed in secret, but it still requires years of study.

4) Anyone who wants to understand the topic of the authority of the scholars, can read the previous discussions on the subject, see the post titled "A Reminder" in the Islam: Basic Understanding section.

We are accustomed to hearing slogans of those who claim to only follow the Qur'an and Sunnah, even though such people know little of what they are saying. The reality is that no person can claim to directly deduce rulings from the sources, without recourse to scholars and Imams, unless they are at the level of being Mujtahids, of which no one exists in our time. Imam Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali [Allah's Mercy be upon him] wrote a known work on the refutation of those who claim to follow other than the Four Madhhabs [al-Radd `Ala Man Ittab`a Ghayr Al-Madhahib Al-Arba`], in which he states that it is from the Mercy and kindness of Allah, our Lord, that rulings and Jurisprudence is preserved through the Four Madhhabs. In it he also states that it is absolutely prohibited for a person to claim ijtihad in matters of Fiqh, when he does not possess the well known requirements to be considered a Mujtahid. It is recorded from Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal [May Allah be pleased with him, shower Mercy upon him!] that a man asked him, "When a man has memorized 100,000 hadiths, is he a scholar of Sacred Law, a faqih?" He was told, "No." The man asked, "200,000 then?" And he said, "No." The man asked, "Then 300,000?" And he said, "No." The man then asked, "400,000?" And Imam Ahmad gestured with his hand to signify "about that many" [Related by Ibn al-Qayyim in I'laam al-Muwaqqi'een, 4:205].

Those who call themselves "salafi" in our age do not follow the Qur'an and Sunnah directly, but they are in fact followers of their Shaykhs, and the interpretations of their scholars. They feel perfectly able to go around "correcting" the Imams, based on what they are taught from their scholars and what they read from their books. And when they are presented with anything which goes against their Shuyukh from the Najd, or with anything that contradicts the positions of Ibn Taymiyya [Allah's Mercy be upon him], they will not accept it. I have seen this with my own eyes and experienced it. One of them insisted that it is the authentic practice to stand up from sujud with your knuckles on the ground [like one kneeds dough], and even when he was presented with the authentic evidence and the explanations from the Imams, he simply did not accept it. Many of them simply do not accept the narrations that indicate that the deceased can hear the living. Others of them blindly follow and accept the positions of Ibn Taymiyya, even when they are in contradiction with what the majority of the scholars have concluded upon. They accept the ruling of Ibn Taymiyya that states that it is prohibited to travel with the intention to visit the Prophet, even though virtually all of the scholars [including all Four Madhhabs] rejected this ruling and established the desirability of visiting the Prophets grave [including Shaykh ul-Islam Imam al-Nawawi preceding Ibn Taymiyya, Hafidh Ibn Hajar al-'Asqalani, Hafidh Zayn al-Din al-'Iraqi, Imam al-Subki, Mulla Ali al-Qari, and others]. In other cases they blindly quote from Shaykh Ibn Taymiyya, even in cases where he is incorrect and made mistakes.

A prime example, pointed out by Shaykh Gibril Haddad, is in the book Kitab al-Tawhid of their Shaykh Muhammad ibn 'Abdul Wahhab. In it, he cites a weak narration that, one of the companions [May Allah be pleased with them all!] said to others:

�Let us all go seek the help of the Messenger of Allah [q�m� bin� nastagh�thu biras�lillah] against this hypocrite [�Abd All�h ibn Ubay ibn Sal�l who challenged Ab� Bakr to ask the Prophet for a major miracle],� where­upon the Pro­phet [Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him] is reported to have said: Innahu l� yustagh�thu b� innam� yustagh�thu bill�h � �Help is not sought with me, it is sought only with All�h.� Ibn �Abd al-Wahh�b references it to al-Tabar�n�.

Shaykh Gibril Haddad notes:

First, neither the wording nastagh�thu biras�lillah nor innahu l� yustagh�thu b� innam� yustagh�thu bill�h is found in any book of had�th and there is no chain for them! The reference to �al-Tabar�n� shows blind imitation of Ibn Taymiyya�s incorrect referencing of these wordings to al-Tabar�n�s al-Mu�jam al-Kab�r in al-Radd �al� al-Bakr� and Majm�� al-Fat�w�. Second, the cor­rect wording in Ibn Sa�d's Tabaq�t, the Musnad, and al-J�mi� al-Sagh�r states that Ab� Bakr said: �Let us rise to the Mes­senger of All�h (saws) to seek help (q�m� nastagh�thu il� ras�lillah) against this hypo­crite� where­upon the Prophet (saws) replied: �L� yuq�mu l� innam� yuq�mu lill�h � Not for me is redress sought but only for All�h.� So the reply of the Prophet (saws) does not address the means but the moti­vation and purpose of the Companions against the hypo­crite. This is con­firmed by an­other report in which �Umar asks permis­sion to kill �Abd All�h ibn Ubay ibn Sal�l, whereupon the Prophet (saws) said: �Leave him lest people say that Muhammad kills his companions!� Third, the chain of the report L� yuq�mu l� innam� yuq�mu lill�h con­tains an unnamed narrator in addition to �Abd All�h ibn Lah�a who is weak as indi­cated by al-Haytham� in Majma� al-Zaw�id (8:40), so the report is weak and wholly unfit to be adduced in matters of belief! Fourth, the report is not found other than in very few of the had�th compilations and is long-winded and quite improbable in its com­plete wording, hence Ibn Kath�r declared it �extremely strange� (ghar�b jiddan) in his Tafs�r (3:174). Fifth, the Com­pan­ion in question is Ab� Bakr (May Allah be pleased with him), which would be a proof in itself � if the report were au­thentic � that istigh�tha from the Prophet (saws) can­not be shirk, since Ab� Bakr was of the most knowledge­able and strictest of Com­pan­ions in Tawh�d! Sixth, the meaning of personal redress meant in Ab� Bakr�s phrase and the reply of the Prophet (saws) is confirmed by the extraordinary words Ab� Bakr spoke to Rab�a al-Aslam� [Narrated from Rab�a ibn Ka�b ibn M�lik by Ah.mad with a fair chain]� the Prophet�s (saws) servant � whom he regretted having insulted: �You will insult me back [in fair requital] or else I will seek the help of the Messenger of All�h (saws) against you! (aw la�asta�diyanna �alayka Ras�lall�h).�

This is just one example from the many. Another example is their citing false and forged reports from the Imams in matters of Aqeeda [http://www.abc.se/~m9783/n/slfm_e.html]. We have already seen their rejection of the validity of tawassul, even when they are presented authentic narrations from the Messenger of Allah. Others of them scorn following of the established madhahib, yet they go on in strictly following a method of prayer deduced by Nasir al-Albani [based on his understanding of the sources] in his work.

As for extremism, the main source of extremism today is eminating from those who have abandoned the established methodology of the majority, those who claim independence from the schools of thought in Jurisprudence. When they are confronted by other valid opinions, they reject them completely, claiming that their own position is solely correct. It is an established principle (Qawaid al-Fiqhiyya) of the Madhahib that we accept the establised and main positions of all of the schools, regardless of whether we agree with them. On the other hand, we notice that people who do not follow the schools of Fiqh claim that they alone have one true position in Fiqh, they often will even reject others as being "weak" or not strong. We are also aware of the abuse the scholars of Ahl ul-Sunna face by their scholars in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia [I have lived there for 5 years myself]. Many of these types of points are also mentioned by the contemporary scholar Sayyid Yusuf al-Rifa'i in his Nasiha li Ikhwanina 'Ulama Najd [Advice to our Brothers, the scholars of Najd].

The scholars who would teach the Shafi'i madhhab in the sacred Masjid al-Nabawi were at one point banned and stopped from teaching [Shaykh 'Abdur Rahman al-Juhani, for example]. Shaykh Muhammad ibn 'Alawi, whose grand-father was an Imam of the sacred mosque in Makkah, was stopped from his teaching chair in the Makkan haram. Why? Because they did not agree with the Madhhabs. The Fiqh of the Four Madhhabs have been taught in the Haramayn for centuries, only to be stopped in our age [except for some of their own scholars who teach the Hanbali Madhhab]. Further examples of moral depravity is their abuse of the Muslims who visit the sacred land. I have personally seen this with my own eyes. They have guards and hoodlums posted at the noble grave of our Beloved [Peace and blessings be upon him], looking down upon Muslims, scoffing at them, giving them sinister looks, abusing visitors, trying to prevent them from supplicating to Allah on the spot. My own close friend was even pushed away by a staff [physically] when he approached the noble grave to send his greetings upon the Beloved Prophet.

Many of the scholars of Najd simply do not allow any method of Fiqh other then their own in to be taught. The noble scholars of the region al-Ahsa [in Saudi Arabia], many of whom are Shafi'i in Madhhab, had established schools and institutions to teach Fiqh and the Islamic sciences. Many of these were literally shut down by your scholars of Najd. When they simply tried to hold private lessons in their homes, they were harassed and questioned by local police at the request of your religious authorities in power. Some of them even go around questioning the believers [one can see this in many countries] in inquisitions, asking them questions like "Where is Allah?", declaring others as innovators if the answer displeases them. This was also the exact method of the Khawarij, if you read history. Some of them label Muslims as Mu'tazilis and "philosophers", even though they themselves share beliefs with the Mu'tazila in the mockery they show towards the karamaat of the Awliya and their denial of the hearing and life of the deceased in the barzakh. They have also forbidden the Imams in mosques to make the Qunut in the Fajr prayer, claiming that it is a weak position that cannot be followed. They say such, even when it is the sound position in the Shafi'i and Maliki madhhabs to make the Qunut in Fajr. These are not the actions of the rulers of the kingdom, but the actions of those who call themselves the scholars of the kingdom. If this isn't extremism, then what is?!

I have gone off topic here because you have made it a point to do so yourself, continuing in allegations against the believers, claiming to be sole followers of the Qur'an and Sunnah. I have only replied to you in relation to what you yourself have claimed in your post. The original discussion started out with establishing the truth of what Shaykh 'Abdul Qadir stated. I do not know if you bother to read the posts that others write, but I have already mentioned the general desirability of seclusion from the Sahih al-Bukhari and its commentary Fath al-Bari. You have made it a mission to mention spurious points against Tasawwuf that have no relation to what Shaykh 'Abdul Qadir stated. What he stated is completely correct concerning those who seek isolation, and the scholars mention that it is permissible in times of tribulation to seek isolation. Yes, it is true that one can associate with society and correct the wrongs, but nevertheless, it is still established from the narrations [mentioned before] that seeking isolation may be praiseworthy at times. You cannot explain the Hadiths in isolation of other narrations, simply sticking to one.

Why is it that you quote from unknown sources, attacking anything to do with Tasawwuf, yet you do not even bother to look at authentic works of Tasawwuf? You will not look at authentic works, such as the Risala of Imam al-Qushayri, but instead you present quotes in order to reinforce your own preconcieved notions. When did Shaykh 'Abdul Qadir mention anything about a "khalwat khana"? As for your other points on imposing seclusion on oneself, do you know that some of the companions lived in very harsh conditions themselves, even when they had the opportunity to live in luxury? It is related that when Sayyidina 'Umar ibn al-Khattab visited Sayyidina Abu al-Dardaa [May Allah be pleased with them both] in Damascus, he saw how our master Abu al-Darda slept on the bare ground, on the small pebbles. He also did not have light in his home, nor a proper pillow. Was this prescribed by Allah upon them? When one of the Awliya choose to be in some isolation, or when they live in the world as strangers and travellers, do not accuse them of innovation and guard your tongue against harming yourself. I do not know of the narration you mentioned concerning Sayyidina Hatim al-Asamm [May Allah shower His Mercy upon him], but I do know that the Hadith master (Hafidh) Abu Nu'aym al-Asfahani mentions him with respect and eulogizes him in his renowned Hilyat al-Awliya wa Tabaqat al-Asfiya, as do many others.

All that is correct and good is from Allah, the Creator of All things, Exalted is He. And praise is for Allah, His Peace and blessings be upon our master Muhammad, upon his family, his companions, and followers.

POST 9: By Pathseeker111

Thank you bro and sis.......

May Allah(swt) guide us all.

POST 10: By Ibn Hanbal

On 8/6/2003 1:59:00 PM, Anonymous wrote:
>�One who professes to follow
>God's will while he is calling
>for someone else's help has
>refuted his own claim.�
.....
>
>The Prophet (pbuh) never
>practiced seclusion after
>receiving the Divine
>appointment of Prophethood,
>nor did his companions. On
>the contrary, the Messenger of
>Allah encouraged socializing
>among Muslims and regarded it
>as praiseworthy, as reported
>in the hadeeth narrated by Ibn
>Umar:
>
>�The believer who intermingles
>with people and endures
>patiently their mischief will
>have greater reward than the
>one who does not intermingle
>with people and does not
>endure patiently their
>mischief.� {Ahmad, At-Tirmidhi
>and Ibn Majah}
>
.....
>I wonder what the author bases
>this belief upon? Sounds
>almost like Catholicism.
...
>Like the author.....

>Suffice it to say that our
>Prophet who Allah, Most High,
>blessed to ascend the heaven,
>never spoke of such nonsense.
>May Allah, Most High, keep us
>on his straight path.
>

Subhan Allah! May Allah forgive us!

I had not come across this post before, but I feel that it is necessary to add some advice and comments. I don't intend staying long here in this section, going in circles scrutinizing everything that is pulled out of a hat, copy and pasted for us to read.

All of the scholars are agreed that our Imam, our Master, the light of his time, Sayyidina al-Shaykh 'Abdul Qadir Jailani [May Allah be pleased with him, shower Mercy upon him, and allow us to benefit from him!] was among the friends of Allah [Awliya], one of the Ahl Allah [people of Allah], a true scholar and unparalleled in his age! Our nation has not been able to produce the likes of him again. With him, has gone a tremendous source of living knowledge, guidance, and the inheritance of the Prophet. He was a direct descendent of our Beloved, and it is our duty to have love and the utmost respect for the household of the Prophet [May Allah bless him and grant him peace, and upon his family as well]. All of the scholars, including Ibn Taymiyya and all of the Hanabila, regard Sayyidina Shaykh 'Abdul Qadir as their Shaykh and Imam. More so, he is someone respected and loved by all of the Imams, of all of the Madhahib. It is authentically recorded about him, that many amazing instances and extraordinary events happened around him [karamaat]. Some of the scholars say, there is no one else about whom it is recorded authentically so many karamaat. It is also obligatory on us, to believe in the authentic recordings and the possibility of such extraordinary occurences, as pointed out by Imam al-Tahawi in his text of Aqeeda [as well as by Ibn Taymiyya].

Before opening your mouth against him, based on misunderstandings, realize that he is more beloved to Allah than you, and know that he is among the friends of Allah. It hurts me to see people regarding my master Shaykh 'Abdul Qadir, in such a manner [to regard his speech with mockery, or to address him as an "author"], and it is a duty upon us to defend the honour of the people who have devoted their lives to the cause of Allah in knowledge and in practice. It is in the Sahih of Imam al-Bukhari, that the Messenger of Allah [May Allah bless him and grant him peace] related to us, that Allah, our Lord, states:

"Whoever harms a friend (Wali) of Mine, I declare war on him..."

It is not our Shaykh, 'Abdul Qadir, who speaks of nonsense, but it is your post filled with personal conclusions and misjudgements. You are a layperson [this is not meant as an insult, but simply the reality for all of us] who is no where near the level, in knowledge or in piety or in any other matter, of our Shaykh. As for the topic of seeking the help and assistance of other than Allah, the Shaykh means that one should not think that ultimately someone other than Allah is granting us help. For example, when we go to seek a means for cure, such as taking medicine or seeking a Doctor, we should realize that Allah Alone ultimately is the provide of Cure. Our Lord has placed means of assitance to us in this world, the people of Allah have the realization of Allah in their minds at all times. Thus, they do not look at the means or the medicine, or the Doctor, but they see that it is Allah Who is giving them the cure and assitance! Often, the scholars will speak at a level which we may not fully comprehend, this is because we ourselves are lacking in knowledge and in practice.

Firstly, there is no doubt over the fact that our Prophet was a source of Mercy for all of the Worlds, and for all of the people. And in fact, it was because of our Beloved, that even the unbelievers and the general people did not recieve the greatest of calamities and were saved from punishment! It was because of the status that our Beloved had with our Lord.

"But God would never chastise them while you were among them; God would never chastise them as they begged forgiveness" [al-Anfal, 8:33]

Our Prophet was even a source of Mercy and even benefitted the animals! This is something pointed out by our Imam Jalal ul-Din al-Suyuti [Allah's Mercy be upon him] in his masterpiece Khasais al-Nabawiyya al-Kubriyya:

Allah's Messenger, upon him be peace and blessings, once went to a garden in Madina with a few of his Companions. There was a very scrawny camel in a corner. On seeing God�s Messenger, it began to shed tears. The Messenger went to the camel and, after staying beside it for some time, severely warned the owner to feed the camel properly.

As for the true scholars and inheritors of the Prophets, they too inherit from the Prophet and are sources of Mercy and guidance, with the permisison of Allah. How many times have the righteous enjoined people to do good and forbidden the wrong, and due to this, we may be averted from the wrath of Allah?

"The believers, men and women, are protectors of one another; they enjoin good, and forbid evil". [9:71]

The Prophet also said, "By Him in Whose Hand my life is, you either enjoin good and forbid evil, or Allah will certainly soon send His punishment to you. Then you will make supplication and it will not be accepted".
[At-Tirmidhi]

Sayyida Zainab (May Allah be pleased with her) reported: The Prophet came to visit me one day frightened and he said, "La ilaha illAllah. Woe to the Arabs because of an evil which has drawn near! Today an opening of this size has been made in the barrier restraining Ya'juj and Ma'juj (Gog and Magog)." And he made a circle with his thumb and index finger. I said, "O Messenger of Allah! Shall we perish while still there will be righteous people among us?" He replied, "Yes, when wickedness prevails."
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

It is established from here that the it is the enjoining of good and forbidding of evil, that is the prime duty of the people of knowledge, that does avert calamities, without a doubt. It is when this duty is neglected and given up, that wickedness prevails and then comes the Anger of Allah. Secondly, the righteous and the true scholars call people to guidance, they call people to the Remembrance of Allah, and are the people who practice upon the knowledge. It is due to their presence, due to the nobility and honour Allah has placed on knowledge and its bearers, that all of the creation benefits from them. Imam Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali [Allah's Mercy be upon him] has a beautiful treatise on the Hadith of Sayyidina Abu al-Dardaa [Warathat ul-Anbiya' Sharh Hadith Abi al-Dardaa] that mentions the distinctions, superiority, and honour of the righteous scholars. It is from these people, that Shaykh 'Abdul Qadir must be referring to as well, for the great Imam Abu Hanifa and others have been noted to have said: "If the scholars who practice upon knowledge are not the Awliya of Allah, then Allah has no Awliya!'. If you simply feel like objecting to everything and anything, then feel free to do so, you are not harming anyone else.

Concerning seclusion, what our Shaykh is generally mentioning on it, is based on the authentic practice of our Beloved Prophet, who would seclude himself in the month of Ramadan, to devote one self to worship. One is not restricted to doing acts of worship at one time only, one can practice i'tikaf at any time as well. What exactly are you objecting to? Do you feel it a crime to go and worship Allah and engage in His Remembrance? In fact, the scholars mention that when one enters the mosque, one should have the intention of i'tikaf, even for a short period so that we get reward. Yes, there is no doubt that to a certain degree we are also enjoined to mix with the people and benefit from them and also exhort others to good. The scholars also mention that at times of great tribulation, the believer may seclude himself, in order to save his own belief and of his family. If someone feels the need to be alone, to be with ones Lord and leave distractions, there is no harm in this, but only good.

How many times do people have to come here, posting articles filled with mistakes and breaking the trust, conveying wrong information, and then continue to speak without knowledge or referral to the scholars? Just a little while ago we had someone claiming that a certain narration was forged, and then had the audacity to claim that the scholars were agreed upon it being forged! Another time we had someone posting from sites, without even referring to whom the author was, simply posting it as their own writing. Another time, someone posting from a work which basically added meanings to the words of the Messenger of Allah! Other times we have people giving personal interpretations to the words of Allah! We live in a time where each of us wants to speak with authority, yet we lack knowledge to do so [including myself]. Someone gave advice that, this Deen consists of having adab [proper respect and etiquette], with Allah and His creation.

Know that in the Sahih of Imam al-Bukhari, in Kitab al-Raqaiq, there is a chapter titled Seclusion gives the Believer rest from bad company. Imam Ibn Hajar al-'Asqalani [Allah's Mercy be upon him] mentions in his commentary [Fath al-Bari] the statements of the righteous from the early generations:

'Abdullah Ibn al-Mubarak [May Allah be pleased with him] relates that Sayyidina 'Umar [May Allah be pleased with him] said: 'Take your share of seclusion.' Hafidh Ibn Hajar continues: "How admirable is the statement of al-Junayd, may Allah grant benefit through his baraka: 'The endurance of seclusion is easier than forced politeness with company.' al-Khattabi said: 'There would be great good in seclusion even if it were to bring nothing more that safety from backbiting and from seeing evils which one cannot remove.'

He [Ibn Hajar] then mentions the narration from the Prophet of Allah, our Beloved, Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him:

Abu Sa'id [May Allah be pleased with him] said, 'I heard the Prophet say: "There will come upon the people a time when a Muslim's best wealth will be some sheep with which he follows the mountain gorges and places of rain, fleeing with his religion from trials [fitan]."

Imam Ibn Hajar mentions from al-Khattabi, that there are certain rights and rules concerning seclusion. The one who can sustain himself and his family may seperate and be more secluded, as long as he fulfills certain rights. He must fulfill the rights others have upon him, to attend the funeral prayers, to be kind to others, to spread the words of greeting, to visit the sick, and other matters [attending the prayer in congregation]. In fact, the scholars state that the reason why we come together is for the sake of obedience to Allah! This was exactly the way of the Prophet of Allah and his companions. Although, it is recorded in the works of history and narrations that many of the companions, in the time of tribulation later, secluded themselves living away from the city [such as Sayyidina Abu Dharr, may Allah be pleased with him]. Many of them, may Allah be pleased with them all, could not bear the loss of their Beloved, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. Many of them saw the large amounts of riches now in the hands of Muslims and could not bear to be affected by it, and kept in some seclusion, safeguarding themselves and their families.

As for general advice, one should stop superfluous association with others, and restrict only to the needs. Imam al-Qushayri states [from Fath al-Bari] in his Risala:

"The way of the man who chooses seclusion is that he should view the people as being thereby secured from his own evil, not the other way around. For the former attitude leads to a belittling of one's nafs, which is a trait of the humble, while the latter impels one to view oneself as superior, and hence breeds arrogance."

Further, another narration in Sahih al-Bukhari mentions the need for seclusion:

Narrated from Abu Sa'id al-Khudri, that a Bedouin came to the Prophet and said: "O Messenger of Allah, who is the best of mankind!" The Prophet replied, "A man who strives in way of Allah with his life and property, and also a man who lives in a mountain path along the mountain paths to worship his Lord and save the people from his evil." [Kitab ul-Raqaiq]

Similar are many other narrations [often found on the subject of the times of tribulations] that enjoin the necessity of seclusion, and these narrations do not put any limit or specify more. If one is secluded and acting upon that which has a basis in the principles of Islam, there is only benefit. And lastly, we can only benefit again from reminding ourselves of what Sayyidina al-Shaykh 'Abdul Qadir al-Jailani said:

Child, your scorning and belittling of God's deputies (Awliya) are a result of the little knowledge you have of God Almighty Himself. You belligerently accuse them: "Why do they not work like us to earn their livelihood? Why do they not mix with us?" You say it out of the ignorance of who you are. In fact, when you have so little knowledge of yourself, your understanding of people's worth is less than that. To the limited extent you know about this world and its consequences, you know even less of the hereafter and its worth; and to the limited extent you know about the hereafter, even less do you know God Almighty. O you who are toiling in this world, soon you will discover your losses, and soon you will suffer the agony of regret. These are your manifest signs for both this world and the hereafter. Greater will be your remorse on the day of reckoning, the day of mutual loss and gain, the day of defamation and exposure, the day of disappointment and loss. Judge yourself today, before the hereafter comes.

The advice for us, from the saying of the Prophet of Allah is:

"Whosoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, then let him speak good or remain silent."
[Sahih al-Bukhari]

Peace and blessings of Allah be bestowed upon the Prophet, his family, companions, followers, and upon the righteous scholars and the Awliya. Praise and gratitude to Allah, Who Knows Best.