World of Tasawwuf | In the time of the Prophet, Tasawwuf was a reality without a name, today Tasawwuf is a name, but few know its Reality

ADVICE TO THE MUSLIM

Advice to the Muslim
Courtesy of HIZMET BOOKS

The Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu 'alayhi wa Sallam said,
"Verily the men of knowledge are the inheritors of the Prophets"

PREFACE
MUTASAWWIFS' BOOKS DO NOT CONTAIN POLYTHEISM
EEMAAN (IMAN) DOES NOT INCLUDE IBADAT
TO ASK HELP OF PROPHETS AND PIOUS MUSLIMS
DO MUSLIMS WORSHIP AWLIYA ?
DO MUSLIMS WORSHIPS TOMBS ?
TO RECEIVE BLESSINGS FROM SOMEONE OTHER THAN THE PROPHET
THE ORIGIN OF TASAWWUF
THE DEAD; THE SOULS OF AWLIYA
TO PRAISE AND SEEK AND TO ASK HELP OF THE BELOVED PROPHET
THE DEAD'S INTERCESSION
HAS AHMAD AL-BADAWI BEEN DEIFIED?
THE BELOVED PROPHET AND THE SAHABA AL KIRAM
ON QASIDAT AL-BURDA
SHALL TOMBS BE DEMOLISHED
VISITING THE BELOVED PROPHET'S MOSQUE, BUT NOT HIS SHRINE ?
THE SALAWAT SAID FOR THE BELOVED PROPHET
AWLIYA DO HELP
KARAMAT OF AWLIYA
A WALI DOES NOT MAKE A SHOW OF KARAMAT
THE AYAT - ALLAH AND THE BELIEVERS ARE SUFFICIENT FOR YOU
TO FOLLOW THE IMAMS OF THE MADHHABS; TAQLID
TO EXPECT SOMETHING FROM ANY DEAD OR LIVING BEING
THE AHL AS-SUNNAH W'AH JAMA'AH & QASIDAT AL-BURDA
THE DEAD & THE ABSENTEE
THE WAHHABIS' IJTIHADS ARE FALSE
VISITING SHRINES
THE BELOVED PROPHET HEARS THE SALAWAT
THE SUPERIORITY OF THE AS-SAHABA AL-KIRAM & THE TABI'UN
HELP FROM LIVING PEOPLE AND THE DECEASED
TO VOW, TO SLAUGHTER AN ANIMAL FOR THE DECEASED
FATWA ON THE HERESY OF WAHHABISM
THE LAWFULLNESS OF READING THE MAWLID & DALA'IL AL- KHAYRAT
TASAWWUF AND TARIQAS ARE NOT INVENTED, BUT COMMANDED IN ISLAM
TO DISBELIEVERS OF TASAWWUF AND KARAMAT
IN THE NEXT WORLD, ONE WILL BE WITH WHOM ONE LOVES

PREFACE

Allahu ta'ala, pitying all the people in the world, creates and sends useful things to them.
In the next world, favoring whomever He wishes of those guilty Muslims who are to go
to Hell, He will forgive them and put them into Paradise. He alone is the One who
creates every living creature, keeps all beings in existence every moment and who protects
all against fear and horror. Trusting ourselves to the honorable name of Allahu ta'ala, we
begin to write this book.

Infinite thanks be to Allahu ta'ala! Peace and blessings be on His most beloved Prophet,
Muhammad ('alaihi 's-salam)! Auspicious prayers be for the pure Ahl al-Bait and for
each of the just, faithful Companions, as-Sahabat al-kiram (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anhum
ajmain), of that exalted Prophet!

Allahu ta'ala is Rabb al-'alamin. He created every kind of the living things and also the
non-living orderly, well-calculated and beneficial. With His attributes Khaliq, Baree,
Musawwir, Badi' and Hakim, He created all beings in perfect order and very beautiful.
He set relations between them so that they would be orderly and beautiful. He made
them reasons, means, and causes for one another so that they would be existent and
go on existing. We give names, such as natural events, physical or chemical laws,
astronomical formulae and physiological processes to these relations and their being
causes of one another. Science is the research into the design, calculations,
interactions and relations between the beings created by Allahu ta'ala, and thereafter
making use of them.

Allahu ta'ala willed every being to be orderly and well-calculated and created as He
willed. He made substances, power and energy causes and means for His creating.
Allahu ta'ala willed the life of human beings to be in order and beneficial, too, and
He made the willpower of mankind the reason and means for this. When man wants
to do something, Allahu ta'ala creates it if He wills. Men have to wish good, right
and useful things so that their individual, private and social life may be in harmony.
Allahu ta'ala endowed wisdom ('aql) on them so that their wishes would be good.
Wisdom is a power which distinguishes good from evil. As human beings need
many things and have to get what they need, the force called "nafs" in man, while
striving to acquire them, misleads wisdom. It makes anything desired look beautiful
to wisdom, even if it is harmful.

Allahu ta'ala, pitying His servants, sent the knowledge called "din" (religion) by
means of an angel to selected men called "prophets" ('alaihimu 's-salawatu
wa 't-taslimat). Prophets taught it to human beings. The Din, Islam, preached by
the Prophet Muhammad ('alaihi 's-salam) distinguishes between good and evil,
beneficial and harmful, which anyone may come across anywhere and orders us
to do what is beneficial.

Still the nafs deceives men and does not want to obey Islamic knowledge. It even
tends to change and distort it and the essentials of faith which are to be believed.
Allahu ta'ala's Prophet, Muhammad ('alaihi 's-salam), foretold that mankind,
following their nafs, would attempt to change Islam. He said, "My umma will
divide into seventy-three groups; only one of them will go to Paradise." The
seventy-two groups which, as it had been declared, would go to Hell because
of their heretical beliefs, did come into being. These seventy-two groups are not
disbelievers for their erroneous understanding of the ambiguous, obscure meanings
of the Qur'an al-karim and the Hadith ash-Sharif. But they will go to Hell because
they changed Islam. They are called ahl al-bidat or dalala, that is, dissenters. The
dissenters, because they are Muslims, will later be taken out from Hell and will go
to Paradise. Besides them, there are those who are nominally Muslims, but change
Islam according to their corrupt knowledge and short sight, thus going out of Islam.
They will remain in Hell eternally. They are zindiqs and reformers.

Today, the la-madhhabi people, by spending millions and millions of dollars, have
been striving to disseminate their heretical beliefs in every country. It is seen with
regret that most of the ignorant of Islam, with a desire for much money, or being
deceived, have gone into this distorted heretical path, departing from the right path
shown by the 'ulama' (scholars) of Ahl as-Sunnat. They have been struggling to
cast aspersions upon the books by the scholars of Ahl as-Sunnat. It therefore
became an obligation to explain the evil beliefs unconformable to Ahl as-Sunnat
as held by the Wahhabis, a group of the la-madhhabi, in a separate book with
documents and to explain the oppression and persecution directed towards
Muslims by these cruel, ignorant people. Hence, it became necessary for Muslims
to see this terrifying danger and to protect themselves from being taken in by false,
deceitful words and writings.

A man named Muhammad ibn'Abd-ul-Wahhab wrote a booklet entitled Kitab
at-tawhid. Although his grandson Sulaiman ibn 'Abdullah had started expounding
this booklet, he died when Ibrahim Pasha went to Dar'iyya and punished them
in 1233 A.H. (1817). His second grandson, 'Abd ar-Rahman ibn Hasan,
expounded it in a book entitled Fat'h al-majid. Later on he prepared a second
book, Qurrat al-'uyun, abridging his former commentary. In the seventh edition
of the commentary published with additions by a Wahhabi named Muhammad
Hamid in 1377 A.H. (1957), the ayats which descended about kafirs and many
hadiths were written to delude Muslims, and wrong, distorted meanings were
extracted from them to attack Ahl as-Sunnat, the true Muslims, and to call those
pure Muslims "kafirs." On many pages of this book, he spits fire, calling the Shiites
"damned polytheists." He takes most of this commentary from Ibn Taymiyya and
his student Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyya and his grandson Ahmad ibn 'Abd al-Halim,
for whom he says "Radi-Allahu 'Anh." "'allama" and "Shaikh al-Islam, Abu 'l-'Abbas."
respectively.

We came by a small Wahhabite book entitled Jewab-i Numan in Turkish while
preparing this book. It was reprinted for the second time in Damascus in 1385 A.H.
(1965) and was being distributed free of charge, deluding the Turkish pilgrims to
mislead them away from the path of Ahl as-Sunnat. By Allahu ta'ala's benevolence
and favor, it fell to our lot to write documented correct answers to the heretical and
false statements in that book, too.

The book Advice for the Muslim consists of two parts. In the first part, statements
from the books Fat'h al-majid and Jawab-i Numan are quoted and answers from
the books of Islamic scholars (rahimahum-Allahu ta'ala) are given in thirty-five articles.

The second part deals with how the Wahhabis came forth, how they spread out, how
those ignorant and brutal people who infiltrated into the Wahhabis to obtain wealth
and power massacred Muslims and destroyed their possessions, how they brutally
attacked Muslim countries, how they were punished by the Ottoman State, and
how they established a new state after the First World War.

May Allahu ta'ala protect Muslims from catching the pestilence of Wahhabism and
Shiism! May He redeem the unlucky people who have slipped into these paths from
this perdition! Amin.

In the text, the interpreted ayats of the Qur'an al-karim are given as ma'al Sharif
(meaning concluded by the mufassirs), which may or may not be the same as what
Allahu ta'ala meant in the ayat. A glossary of Arabic and other non-English terms
foreign to the English reader is appended.

Miladi (1995) Hijri Shamsi (1373) Hijri Qamari (1416)

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MUTASAWWIFS' BOOKS

1 - On page 75 of the Wahhabite book Fat'h al-majid, it is written:

"Abd al-Wahhab ash-Sharani's books and 'Abd al-'Aziz Dabbagh's book Ibreez and Ahmad at-Tijani's books are full of shirk [polytheism] that Abu Jahl and the like could not have conceived."

Ahmad at-Tijani (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaih, may Allahu ta'ala bless him), who was born in Algeria in 1150 A.H. (1737) and died in Morocco in 1230 (1815), was the rehber (guide, leader) of the Tijaniyya way, which was a branch of Khalwatiyya. The book Jawahir al-ma'ani fi faid-i Shaikh Tijani written about this way is famous.

The Wahhabi, too, writes that the superior ones among men, that is, the prophets (salawat-Allahi ta'ala wa taslimatuhu 'Alaihim ajmain) are higher than the superior angels and believes in angels' power and effect, but does not believe that Allahu ta'ala has given the power of disposition and effectiveness to His awliya' (rahimahum-Allahu ta'ala) as a karama, and calls the people who believe so "mushriks" (polytheists). The scholars of Ahl as-Sunnat (rahimahum-Allahu ta'ala), as a karama, realizing even then, refuted them years beforehand. Muhyiddin ibn al-'Arabi, Sadr ad-din al-Qonawi, Jalal ad-din Rumi and Sayyid Ahmad al-Badawi and the aforementioned awliya (rahimahum-Allahu ta'ala) were the leading ones who, as a karama, foretold these things. This is the reason why the Wahhabis do not like these awliya'.

Hadrat al-Imam ar-Rabbani Ahmad al-Faruqi as-Sirhindi (quddisa sirruh) wrote in the fiftieth letter of the second volume of his Maktubat:

"Islam has a surface and a real, inner essence. The surface of Islam is firstly to believe and then to obey the orders and prohibitions of Allahu ta'ala. The nafs al-ammara (the headstrong, unregenerate self) of a person who has attained the surface of Islam is in denial and disobedience. The belief (iman) of this person is on the surface of belief. The salat he performs is the appearance of salat. His fast and other kinds of worship ('ibada) are also of that grade. The reason is that the basis of the existence of man is the nafs al-ammara. When he says 'I,' he refers to his nafs. So his nafs has not attained iman, has not believed. Could the belief and worship of such people be real and right? Since Allahu ta'ala is very merciful, He accepts the attainment of the facade. He announces the good news that He will put into Paradise those with whom He is pleased. It is a great benevolence of His that He accepts the belief of the heart and does not lay down a condition that the nafs also should believe. However, there are the surface and also the real essence of the blessings of Paradise. Those who attain the surface of Islam will get a share from what is the facade of Paradise, and those who attain the reality of Islam in this world will get the reality of Paradise. Both the one who attains the facade and the one who attains the reality of Islam will eat the same fruit of Paradise, but each will get a different taste. Rasulullah's (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) blessed wives (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anhunna) will be with him in Paradise and eat the same fruit, but the taste they will get will be different. If it would not be different, then these blessed wives should have necessarily been higher than all human beings, and, since a wife will be with her husband in Paradise, the wife of every superior person should have been superior like him.

"The one who attains the surface of Islam, if he obeys it, will be saved in the next world. In other words, he has attained the status of common wilaya, that is, the pleasure and love of Allahu ta'ala. The one who has been honored with this status is the one who can join the way of tasawwuf and reach the special wilaya called "Wilayat khassa." He can make his nafs ammara develop into an-nafs al-mutmainna (the tranquil self). It should be known for certain that, in order to make progress in this wilaya, or in the reality of Islam, the surface of Islam should not be abandoned.

"It is the very frequent dhikr of Allahu ta'ala's Name that makes one progress on the way of tasawwuf. The dhikr, too, is an 'ibada ordered in the religion of Islam. It is commended and ordered in ayats and hadiths. It is essential to avoid the prohibitions of Islam to make progress on the way of tasawwuf. Performing the fard (those kinds of worship ordered in the Qur'an al-karim) enables one to make progress on this way. It is an order of Islam, too, that one should look for a rehber who knows tasawwuf and who is able to guide the salik (wayfarer). It is declared in the thirty-eighth ayat of Surat al-Ma'ida, 'look for a wasila [In the 18th article it is clearly explained that a perfect guide is a wasila] to approach Him.' Both the surface and the real essence of Islam are necessary for winning the approval of Allahu ta'ala, because all the excellences of wilaya can be attained by obeying the surface of Islam. And the excellences of prophethood (nubuwwa) are the fruits of the reality of Islam.

"The way leading to wilaya is tasawwuf. It is necessary to extract from the heart the love for everything except Allahu ta'ala to make progress on the way of tasawwuf. If the heart becomes oblivious of everything by the benevolence of Allahu ta'ala, fana' results, and the sair-i ila'llah is completed. Then the journey called 'sair-i fi 'illah' begins, at the end of which occurs the desired status of baqa'. Thus the reality of Islam is attained. The noble person who attains this status is called 'wali,' which means the person whom Allahu ta'ala is pleased with and loves. An-nafs al-ammara becomes mutmainna (tranquil, subdued) at this stage. The nafs gives up kufr and resigns itself to the qada' and qadar of Allahu ta'ala and pleases Him. It begins to comprehend itself. It gets redeemed from the illness of haughtiness and arrogance. Most of the superiors of tasawwuf said that the nafs could not become free of disobedience to Allahu ta'ala even after attaining tranquillity. Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) said on his return from a ghaza, 'We return from the small jihad. We begin the great jihad.' The 'great jihad' has been interpreted as jihad against an-nafs al-ammara. This faqir, myself [al-Imam ar-Rabbani], does not take it in that sense. I say no disobedience or evil is left when the nafs attains tranquillity. The nafs, too, like the heart, forgets everything, sees nothing but Allahu ta'ala. It becomes indifferent to position, rank, property and even to their sweet and sour tastes. It has been crushed and has become sort of nonexistent. It has sacrificed itself for Allahu ta'ala. The 'great jihad' mentioned in the hadith ash-Sharif is probably the jihad against the physical, chemical and biological desires of the substances constituting the body. Both shahwa, that is, lust or violent desire, and ghadab, that is, fright or scruple, are material passions. Animals do not have nafs, but these malignant inclinations exist in animals, too. It is due to the properties of substances in the body that animals have lust, anger and inordinate inclinations [all called natural inclinations or instincts]. Human beings should perform jihad against these inclinations. The tranquillity of the nafs does not rescue man from these evils. Jihad against them is very beneficial. It helps the purification of the body.

"Al-Islam al-haqiqi (the Real Islam) falls to one's lot when one's nafs gets subdued. Then real iman is attained. Any kind of worship performed is real: salat, fast and hajj are all in their real value.

"As it is seen, tasawwuf (or 'way') or haqiqa (reality) is the passage between the surface and the inner part of Islam. The one who has not attained Wilayat khassa cannot get redeemed from being a metaphoric Muslim, cannot attain the Real Islam.

"The one who has attained the reality of Islam and has been honored with the Real Islam begins to take shares from the excellences of prophethood. He becomes an object of the good news declared in the hadith, 'The Ulama' are the Prophets' heirs.' The excellences of prophethood are the fruits of the reality of Islam as the excellences of wilaya are the fruits of the surface of Islam. The excellences of wilaya are the appearances of the excellences of prophethood.

"The difference between the surface and the reality of Islam, consequently, arises from the nafs. And the difference between the excellences of wilaya and those of prophethood comes from the substances in the body. In the excellences of wilaya, substances obey what their physical, chemical and biological properties dictate; extra energy causes excessiveness, and substances long for food. For obtaining these needs, insolent absurdities are committed. In the excellences of prophethood, such absurdities come to an end. In the hadith ash-Sharif, 'My devil became Muslim,' probably this state of consciousness is expressed, for there is a devil in man as there is one outside of him. Excess energy leads man astray and makes him arrogant, and this is the worst of the bad habits. By getting rid of these evils, nafs becomes Muslim. In the excellences of prophethood, there is belief both by heart and by nafs, and also regularity and equilibrium of the substances present in the body. It is after the establishment of the equilibrium of matter and energy in the body that nafs gets subdued completely. After tranquillity, it cannot return to malignity. All these superior qualities are based on Islam. A tree cannot be without roots no matter how much it branches out or how fruitful it is. Obedience to Allahu ta'ala's orders and prohibitions is essential in every excellence."

It is seen that the author of the book, because he knows nothing of tasawwuf, maligns the awliya' (qaddas-Allahu ta'ala asrarahum al-'aziz) and thinks that they are outside of Islam.

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EEMAAN

2 - On the 48th and 348th pages of the Wahhabite book, it is written:

"Deeds, 'ibadat, are included in iman. Iman of a non-worshiper fades away. Iman may increase or decrease. Ash-Shafi'i, Ahmad and others said so unanimously."

It is of iman to believe that 'ibada is a duty. Believing and performing are two different concepts that should not be confused with each other. Anyone who, though he has believed but because he is lazy, does not practice his beliefs does not become a disbeliever. The author of the book, unable to understand this, accuses millions of Muslims of disbelief. Although anyone who calls a Muslim "kafir" (disbeliever) becomes a kafir himself, those who say so with a tawil do not become kafirs.

The forty-third verse of the famous book Qasidat al-Amali [Nuhbat al-la'ali, a very valuable Arabic annotation of this qasida was published in Istanbul in 1975.] says, "The fard 'ibadat are not included in iman." Hadrat al-Imam al-Azam Abu Hanifa declared that deeds were not a part of iman. 'Iman' means 'belief.' There is neither paucity nor plentifulness in believing. If 'ibadat were of iman, iman would increase or decrease. The belief will not be accepted after the curtain rises up from in front of the eyes and the torture is seen [at the moment one dies]. Those who pass away with iman at that moment, when 'ibadat cannot be performed, believe only by heart. And this is called "iman" in the ayat. In many ayats, those who have iman are ordered to perform 'ibadat. Therefore, belief is separate from 'ibadat. Furthermore, the Qur'anic phrase "Those who believe and those who do pious deeds" shows that 'ibadat and iman are distinct. The ayat al-karima, "Those who, being believers, do pious deeds..." shows clearly that deeds are separate from belief. For, stipulation must be different from what (who) is stipulated. It was said unanimously that anyone who, just after becoming a believer, died and found no time to perform any 'ibada was a believer. It is declared in the Hadith al-Jibril that iman is only belief.

Imam Ahmad, al-Imam ash-Shafi'i, many scholars of hadith and Asharis (rahimahum-Allahu ta'ala) and the Mutazila said that 'ibada was of iman, and iman would increase and decrease, and that if iman and 'ibada were separate from each other, the iman of the prophets ('alaihimu 's-salawatu wa 't-taslimat) and that of sinners should be the same. They said that the ayat, "Their iman increases when they hear My ayats," and the hadith, "Iman, when it increases, takes its possessor to Paradise, and it takes him to Hell when it decreases," meant that iman would increase and decrease. Long before, al-Imam al-Azam (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaih) had given information as an answer to them. He had said that the 'increase' of iman means its 'lasting, longevity.' Imam Malik (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaih) also said so. Plentifulness of iman means the increase of the number of the things to be believed. The as-Sahabat al-kiram, for instance, formerly had a few things to believe, and, as new orders descended, their iman increased. The increase of iman means the augmentation of nur (spiritual light) in the heart. This brilliance increases by performing 'ibadat and decreases by committing sins. Further information can be found in the book Sharh-i Mawaqif and Jawharat at-tawhid.

On page 91 of the Wahhabite book, it is said:

"A Sahabi did not give up drinking wine. He was punished with a penalty of flogging called 'hadd.' When a few Sahabis cursed him, Rasulullah declared, 'Do not call down curses upon him! For he loves Allahu ta'ala and His Rasul.' "

He, too, confirms that a Muslim who commits sins does not become a kafir. This hadith ash-Sharif refutes the Wahhabis' saying that Muslims who commit grave sins or who do not perform the fard would become disbelievers. Also it proves that the hadith ash-Sharif "He who has iman does not commit zina (adultery or fornication). He does not steal," refers not to iman itself but to its maturity.

'Abd al-Ghani an-Nabulusi, while explaining the writings of 'Allama al-Birghiwi (rahimahumallahu ta'ala) wrote on the 281st and following pages of his book Al-Hadiqa:

"Iman is the belief by the heart in and confirmation by the tongue of the knowledge Muhammad ('alaihi's-salam) revealed from Allahu ta'ala. It is not necessary to study or to understand every piece of this knowledge. The Mutazila group said it was necessary to believe after understanding. 'Ayni (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala), in the commentary on the Sahih of al-Bukhari, said that muhaqqiqin or the most profound 'ulama,' for example, Abu 'l-Hasan al-Ashari, Qadi 'Abd al-Jabbar al-Hamadani al-Mutazili, Ustadh Abu 'l-Ishaq Ibrahim al-Isfaraini, Husain ibn Fadl and many others had said, 'Iman is the belief accepted by the heart in the facts that were declared clearly. It is not iman to say it with the tongue or to perform 'ibadat.' Sad ad-din at-Taftazani (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala), too, wrote this in his Sharh-i 'aqa'id and reported that 'ulama' like Shams al-aimma and Fakhr al-Islam 'Ali al-Pazdawi (rahimahumallahu ta'ala) said it was necessary to confirm it with the tongue.

The revelation with the tongue of the iman in the heart is necessary for the reason that it will help Muslims to recognize one another. The Muslim who does not say he is a believer is a believer, too. Most 'ulama', for example, al-Imam al-Azam Abu Hanifa (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala), said that deeds or worship were not included in iman. Though Imam 'Ali (radi-Allahu 'anh) and al-Imam Ash-Shafi'i (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) said that iman was to believe and to confirm it with the tongue and to perform 'ibadat, they, in fact, meant the perfection, maturity of iman. It was a unanimous declaration that the one who said that he had iman in his heart was a Mumin (believer). Rukn ad-din Abu Bakr Muhammad al-Kirmani, in the commentary on the Sahih of Al-Bukhari, said, 'If 'ibadat had been considered to be a part of iman, then iman would have increased or decreased. However, iman of the heart neither increases nor decreases. A belief that would increase or decease would not be iman but doubt, misgiving.' Imam Muhyiddin Yahya an-Nawawi (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) said, 'Iman increases by studying and understanding the reasons of the facts to be believed. Abu Bakr as-Siddiq's (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh) iman is not the same as the iman of any other person.' This statement points to the strength or weakness of iman; it does not mean that iman itself increases or decreases. It is likened to the similarity between sick and healthy persons: they are not equally strong, but both are human beings and their being human neither increases nor decreases. Hadrat al-Imam al-Azam Abu Hanifa explained the ayats and hadiths about the attributes of iman as follows: 'As-Sahabat al-kiram (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anhum ajmain), when they embraced Islam, believed everything as a whole. Later many new things became fard in the course of time. They believed these orders one by one. Thus their belief increased gradually. This is true only for the as-Sahabat al-kiram. The increase of iman cannot be thought of for Muslims who came after them.' Sad ad-din at-Taftazani (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) wrote in his Sharh-i 'aqa'id, "Those who know summarily should believe summarily, and it is necessary for those who know the details profoundly to believe accordingly. The iman of the latter is certainly greater than that of the former. But the iman of the former is complete, too. Their belief is not defective."

'Abd al-Ghani an-Nabulusi (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) summarizes: "In short, not iman itself but its firmness increases or decreases. Or, the increase or decease in iman means its perfection or value. And so have been interpreted the ayats and hadiths about the attributes of iman. Since this is a subject on which ijtihad may be employed, various interpretations have been made. None of the commentators have censured the other." But the Wahhabi writer says "disbeliever" or "polytheist" about the one who believes in 'ibadat but, out of laziness, does not perform them. Muhammad al-Hadimi (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala), in his Bariqa, wrote:

"Iman does not include 'ibadat. Hadrat Jalal ad-din ad-Dawani (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) said, 'The Mutazila considered 'ibadat as part of iman and said that those who did not perform 'ibadat did not have iman. 'Ibadat make iman mature and beautiful and are like the branches of a tree.' Al-Imam al-Azam Abu Hanifa, Imam Malik, Imam Abu Bakr Ahmad ar-Razi and many other profound scholars said that iman neither increased by worshiping nor decreased by sinning, because 'iman' meant 'thorough belief and, therefore, it neither increased nor decreased.

The increase of iman in the heart means the decrease of kufr, the opposite of belief, which is impossible. Al-Imam ash-Shafi'i and Abu 'l-Hasan al-Ashari (rahimahum-Allahu ta'ala) said that iman would increase or decrease. But it is explained in the book Mawaqif that they meant with this statement the increase or decrease of not iman but the strength of iman, for the Prophet's iman and his umma's iman are not the same; the iman of the one who, with his reason and knowledge, has studied and then believed what he has heard is different from the iman of one who just believes what the hears. [The iman of a wali who has attained mukashafa and mushahada is not like that of a Wahhabi who knows nothing of tasawwuf.] It is written in the Qur'an al-karim that the Prophet Ibrahim ('alaihi 's-salam) wanted his heart to gain itminan (tranquility) or yaqin (certitude based on revelation). In his book Fiqh-i akbar, [Al-qawl al-fasl, a valuable Arabic annotation of Fiqh-i akbar, was published in Istanbul in 1975.] al-Imam al- Azam Abu Hanifa (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) wrote, 'The iman of the ones in heaven [angels] and on the earth [men and genies] does not become less or more in respect to the facts to be believed. Iman increases or decreases in respect to itminan or yaqin. In other words, the strength of iman increases or deceases. However, without any yaqin or strength, it is not iman.' "

Al-Imam ar-Rabbani Ahmad al-Faruqi as-Sirhindi (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) wrote in the 266th letter in his book Maktubat: "Since iman is the affirmation and certitude in the heart, it neither increases nor decreases. Belief which increases or decreases is not called iman but surmise. Iman becomes brilliant, illuminated and shiny when one performs 'ibadat and does the things Allahu ta'ala likes. And it becomes dull and stained when one commits sins. Then, increase or decrease is a change of illumination or brilliance due to deeds. There is not a decrease or increase in iman itself. Some [who said that belief would increase or decease] said that the glossy, shiny iman was more than the dull iman and regarded the dull iman not to be iman. They even considered the glossy iman in some people as iman but said it was less than the one in others as if the [two kinds of] iman were like two mirrors with different grades of brilliance or gloss and the mirror reflecting clearer images due to its brilliance were 'greater' than the less brilliant one. Some others say that the two mirrors are equivalent but their gloss and the images they reflect, that is, their properties, are different. Those who made the first type of comparison looked just on the external varnish but could not see the essence of the matter. The hadith ash-Sharif, 'Abu Bakr's iman is heavier than the total iman of all my umma,' is a comparison from the glossiness or brilliance viewpoint."

The Wahhabite book quotes the hadith ash-Sharif, "A person's iman is incomplete unless he loves me more than his children, his parents and everyone," and comments:

"Love is in the heart it is a function of the heart. Therefore, this hadith shows that deeds and 'ibadat are included in iman and are requisites for iman."

Love is not a function but an attribute of the heart. Even if we would accept that it is a function of the heart, it cannot be said that the work done by the body or organs is the work of the heart. The one who commits grave sins will be punished. The one who has them in his heart or intends to commit them will not be punished. The good deed of the heart is to believe, and its bad deed is to disbelieve or is being without a belief. Disbelief is not a deed of the body. Lying, for instance, is haram (forbidden), and the one who lies does a bad deed, but he does not become a kafir. He who approves of lying or does not believe that lying is haram becomes a kafir.

The Wahhabi claims:

"Iman becomes genuine by the belief and practice of the heart, by the confirmation of the tongue and by performing 'ibadat. Ahl as-Sunnat said so, too," but on page 339, he says,

"If one loves Allah, he has to love those who obey Him, His prophets, His pious servants and those whom Allah loves."

Then love for the awliya' (rahimahum-Allahu ta'ala) is the sign of love for Allahu ta'ala. Nothing should be said against those who express their love for them. As the Wahhabite book was compelled to write, it is forbidden and disbelief to love those whom Allahu ta'ala does not love, and it is necessary and a sign of iman to love those whom He loves. This is the very worship called "al-hubbu fi 'llah wal-bughdu fi 'llah," which was declared to be the most virtuous of all 'ibadat. Disbelievers and polytheists love things other than Allahu ta'ala. However, Muslims, because they love Allahu ta'ala, love His prophets ('alaihimu 's-salam) and awliya' (rahimahum-Allahu ta'ala) whom He loves. The Wahhabite book confuses these two kinds of love with each other. It takes the ayats condemning disbelievers' love as if they comprise Muslims' love.

Some of the Kharijis (Khawarij), one of the seventy-two groups of bidat, and the Wahhabite book do not oppose the ayats and hadiths but misunderstand them by misinterpreting (tawil) ambiguous and obscure nasses with unclear and uncertain meanings, and say that to do the fard and to refrain from the haram are of iman, that it is necessary not only to believe in the six principles of iman but also to live up to Islam in order to be a Mumin (believer), and that anyone who does not carry out a fard or who commits a haram becomes a kafir. Out of this misunderstanding, they put the stamp of "kafir" on Muslims. Whereas, what is of iman is to believe that what is fard is fard and what is haram is haram. "Disbelief" and "belief without practice" are two distinct concepts. Because they confuse these two concepts with each other, they dissent from Ahl as-Sunnat. Yet, they do not become disbelievers because of this belief. They become ahl al-bidat, innovators in 'ibadat. However, the ones tho regard, without the ta'wil of nasses, those Muslims who do not perform 'ibadat or who commit haram as kafirs become kafirs themselves. In the Hadith ash-Sharif, it was declared, "Allahu ta'ala fills with iman the heart of the one who dislikes the innovator [in 'ibadat]. The one who condemns the innovator [in 'ibadat] will be blessed by Allahu ta'ala against the fear of the Day of Resurrection."

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TO ASK HELP

3 - The Wahhabite book, quoting the ayats which declare that those who worship or make a mediator (wasita) of anything besides Allahu ta'ala are polytheists, comments,

The ones who verbally ask prophets or salih persons who are dead or far away for help become mushriks (polytheists) according to these ayats," (Pages 98, 104).

Muslims do not believe that awliya' (rahimahum-Allahu ta'ala) will do anything or help by themselves. We believe that Allahu ta'ala, because He loves them very much, accepts their prayers and creates their wish for their sake. Worshiping a human being means to dissent from Islam by obeying him and to esteem his words as higher than the Book (the Qur'an al-karim) and the Sunnat (the Hadith ash-Sharif). Obeying the one who orders us to obey Islam is not so. Obeying him is obedience to Islam. 'Ali (radi-Allahu 'anh) had an eye-ache during the Khaibar Battle. Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) put his blessed saliva on his eyes and prayed. His eyes got well. Allahu ta'ala bestowed recovery for love of the Prophet. This event is written in detail on page 91 of the Wahhabite book where it also gives the references that the Sahihain of al-Bukhari and Muslim narrated it. [See also the 18th article below.]

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DO MUSLIMS WORSHIP AWLIYA ?

4 - It is written on page 108:

"Men of tasawwuf are in polytheism and disbelief. The murid (disciple) worships his shaikh (guide). Ash-Sharani's books are full of this kind of disbelief. They deify and worship the tombs of Husain, his father, his children and of ash-Shafi'i, Abu Hanifa and 'Abd al-Qadir al-Geilani ."

In the third part of the Persian book Al-usul al-arba'a fi tardidi 'l-Wahhabiyya, [Written in Persian in India in 1346 (1928) and published in Pakistan. The author, Hakim al-Ummat Khwaja Muhammad Hasan Jan Sahib, was a descendant of al-Imam ar-Rabbani (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala). Second edition was produced in Istanbul, in 1395 (1975). The book Tariq an-najat by the same author answers the bid'a groups. It is in Arabic and was published with its Urdu translation in Pakistan in 1350 and reproduced by photo-offset in Istanbul in 1396 (1976 A.D..] it is written:

"Those who believe so claim that it is grave polytheism to call by name someone who is absent (gha'ib). In this context, they mean that if one calls even Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam), thinking that his blessed soul is present (hadir), one becomes a polytheists. Ash-Shawkani of Yaman, too, wrote in his Durr an-nadid, 'It is kufr to esteem graves and to ask help [of the dead] by visiting graves.' And in his Tathir al-itiqad, he said, 'He who calls to the dead or the living absentees, whether they be angels, prophets or walis, becomes a polytheist.' The la-madhhabi assert two different opinions on this subject: if one, without thinking that he [the Prophet] would hear but because he loves him, says, 'Ya Rasul-Allah!' he does not become a polytheist; if he says so with the belief that he will hear him, he becomes a disbeliever. We should ask these people who regard the actions of the Salaf as-salihin (rahimahum-Allahu ta'ala) as polytheism and Muslims as polytheists: what do you mean by 'gha'ib'? If you mean 'Anything we do not see is gha'ib,' it would be polytheism for you, too, to say 'Ya Allah!' In fact, you do not believe even the fact that Allahu ta'ala will be seen in Paradise. If you mean 'Gha'ib means nonexistent,' how can you say 'nonexistent' for the souls of prophets ('alaihimu 's-salawatu wa 't-taslimat) and awliya' (rahimahum-Allahu ta'ala)?

We have already proven in the second part of our book that souls do exist. If you say, 'We believe in the existence, perception and consciousness of souls [that they hear and understand], but we do not believe that they posses tasarruf (ability to do, to act),' Allahu ta'ala refutes these words in the fifth ayat of the Surat an-Nazi'at, 'I take an oath on those who do hard work.' Many 'ulama' of tafsir, for example, al-Baidawi in his Tafsir [and in its commentary by Shaikhzada, in Tafsir-i 'Azizi, in the tafsir Ruh al-bayan and in Tafsir-i Husaini], wrote that this ayat declared that the souls of angels and walis did work. The soul (ruh) is not material and, therefore, like angels and by the order and permission of Allahu ta'ala, does work in this world. In various ayats of the Qur'an al-karim, angels are reported to be doing work, annihilating or acting as means in killing or bringing back to life. Satans and genies, too, do hard work easily.

The Qur'an al-karim narrates the help done by genies to the Prophet Sulaiman ('alaihi 's-salam), for example, in the thirteenth ayat of the Surat Saba', 'The genies did whatever he wanted - made a fortress, picture, large cauldrons and [earthenware] pots [so heavy] that could not be lifted up.' Genies, though they are not as perfect and as strong as angels and souls, can then do great work. There are many invisible things in this world which do work that cannot be managed by human power. For example, the air, which is very light and invisible, when it blows as a gale or whirlwind, uproots trees and demolishes building. [Electricity, atoms, laser rays and electromagnetic waves are able to produce tremendous work even though they are invisible to the eye even through the most powerful microscope.] We do not see the powers of the evil eye and magic or witchcraft and the like, but everybody has heard of their bewildering results. Allahu ta'ala is no doubt the only doer of all that is done. But, because all these are the causes or means for Allahu ta'ala's doing or creating, we think that they do and say that they do. Since it is not polytheism or disbelief to say 'they do', why should it be polytheism to say, 'The souls of awliya' do'? As 'they' do work by Allahu ta'ala's permission and with His creating, the souls of awliya', also do things by Allahu ta'ala's permission and creating. If one says that it is polytheism to say 'they do', he, in fact, will have contradicted the Qur'an al-karim.

"If this person claims that the Qur'an al-karim says that the genies, Satans, the hair and magic are effective, and therefore it is permissible to say 'these do,' and that since the Qur'an al-karim does not say that the souls of awliya' do such and such work, it is polytheism to ask anything from souls, we remind him of the above-quoted ayat karima of the Surat an-Nazi'at. We have already told about the prayer said in a hadith ash-Sharif to the blind Muslim who wanted to gain his sight, and the prayer which is to be read when alone in the desert, and the command, 'While visiting graves, greet the dead!' and the event narrated by 'Uthman ibn Hunain (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh) in the preceding article.

All these and many other similar documents evidence that it is permissible to ask help of an absentee. But this person puts the stamp of daif or mawdu' to these mashhur and sahih hadiths, and does not even listen to the words of the scholars of Ahl as-Sunnat and prominent leaders of tasawwuf, for he says that following any of the four madhhabs is polytheism and disbelief. For example, Ghulam 'Ali Qusuri wrote in his Tahqiq al-kalam: 'Those who follow one of the four madhhabs or belong to the Qadariyya, Chishtiyya or Suhrawardiyya Tariqa are disbelievers, polytheists and ahl al-bidat.' " [Please see the 8th and 35th articles for further discussion.]

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DO MUSLIMS WORSHIPS TOMBS ?

5 - He quotes the hadith ash-Sharif, "The lives and property of those who say, 'La ilaha illa'llah,' and do not worship anything other than Allahu ta'ala are haram," and says on page 111:

"Saying only the kalimat at-tawhid cannot save one's blood and possessions. Those who worship tombs and the dead are in this group. They are worse than the pre-Islamic polytheists mentioned in the Qur'an al-karim."

Some people, putting forward the ayat, "Kill polytheists wherever you find them," as a reason, want to kill Muslims and plunder their possessions. They quote the words of disbelief and polytheism of the Khurufis and of the ignoramuses and attack tasawwuf and the superior authorities on tasawwuf. Quoting the hadiths condemning those who worship trees, stones or graves, they say that it is polytheism or disbelief to build tombs on graves and to visit graves.

It is certainly polytheism to regard a stone, a tree or an unknown grave as a means of blessing. But it is stupidity and ignorance to liken to it visiting the graves of the prophets ('alaihimu 's-salawatu wa 't-taslimat) and awliya' (rahimahum-Allahu ta'ala) with the intention of getting enlightenment and blessings through their baraka (holiness) from Allahu ta'ala. Moreover, it is to set disunion among Muslims to accuse millions of Muslims -because of this- of disbelief and polytheism.

The profound scholar Sulaiman ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab an-Najdi (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala), the author of As-sawa'iq al-ilahiyya fi 'r-raddi 'ala 'l-Wahhabiyya, [First published by Nukhbat al-Akbar press in Baghdad in 1306 A.H.. Second edition was produced by photo-offset in Istanbul, 1395 (1975).] was the brother of Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab, the founder of Wahhabism. He proved with documents that the path opened in the name of Wahhabism by his brother was heretical. He wrote on page 44 of his book:

"One of the documents showing that your path is heretical is the hadith ash-Sharif written in Sahihain, the two genuine hadith books, one by al-Bukhari and the other by Muslim. 'Uqba ibn Amir (radi-Allahu 'anh), the relater of the hadith ash-Sharif, said, 'Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam), ascended the minbar. It was the last time I saw him on the minbar. He declared: "I do not fear whether you will become polytheists after I die. I fear that you, because of worldly interests, will kill one another and thus be destroyed like ancient tribes." ' Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) foretold all that would happen to his umma till the Resurrection. This sahih hadith states that his umma will never worship idols, that he was assured of it. This hadith ash-Sharif demolishes Wahhabism by the roots, for the Wahhabite book claims that the Ummat al-Muhammadiyya worship idols, that Muslim countries are full of idols, that tombs are idol-houses. It says that one also becomes a disbeliever by not believing that he who expects help or intercession at shrines is a disbeliever. However, Muslims have visited graves and asked the mediation and intercession of awliya' for centuries. No Islamic scholars have called such Muslims polytheists; they regarded them as Muslims.

"Question: A hadith ash-Sharif says, "Of all that will befall you, polytheism is the one I fear most." What would you say about that?'

"Answer: It is inferred from other hadiths that this hadith ash-Sharif alludes to shirk asghar (venial polytheism, see below). All similar hadiths related by Shaddan ibn Aws, Abu Huraira and Mahmud ibn LAbid (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anhum) state that Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) feared that shirk asghar would be committed by his umma. It has happened as it was told in the hadiths, and many Muslims have fallen into shirk asghar. You confuse shirk asghar with shirk akbar (the greatest polytheism), thus accuse Muslims of disbelief and regard those believers who do not call Muslim 'disbelievers' as disbelievers."

On page 451 of the book Al-Hadiqa, the hadith ash-Sharif, "Oh Mankind! Avoid that very occult polytheism!" is explained and remarked: "This kind of polytheism is to see the causes (sababs) only and not to think that Allahu ta'ala creates. To believe that the causes create the work is to attribute them as partners to Allahu ta'ala. It is called shirk jali (open, apparent polytheism) to attribute things seen or thought as partners of Him. And it is shirk khafi (occult polytheism) to believe that things considered as causes by Islam, reason or customs create." Hadrat 'Abd al-Haqq ad-Dahlawi says on page fifty of his work AShiat al-lama'at, "It is shirk akbar to worship idols. This is the kind of polytheism that causes kufr (disbelief). Shirk asghar is to perform rites and do goodness hypocritically. This minor polytheism does not make one a disbeliever." These two kinds of polytheism are of shirk jali.

The above hadith ash-Sharif quoted from Al-Hadiqa does not say that it is polytheism to ask something from souls and the dead. It means that it is polytheism to believe, while making use of the causes, that is, while asking something from human beings or using visible or invisible things, that the resultant work is done by the causes. It is polytheism, or the attribution of it as a partner to Allahu ta'ala, to believe that a living or lifeless cause is able to create or do whatever he or it wishes; with such a belief in mind, to ask something from the cause means to worship it. To make use of a cause with the belief that not the cause but Allahu ta'ala will create is not to worship it but to hold to it as a means. When Muslims want something from the living or the dead, from the present or the absent, they do not believe that their wish will be granted by these things themselves. Holding to the causes, they expect their wish from Allahu ta'ala and believe that He will create. Therefore, Muslims' asking something from souls and the dead does not mean that they worship them or regard them as beings to be worshiped. Allahu ta'ala creates everything through a cause or means and commands us to hold fast to using causes.

For this reason, we hold to the associated cause for attaining what we wish. Holding to the causes is neither polytheism nor a sin. Expecting from the causes is polytheism. It is shirk akbar to expect from them with the belief that they can create whatever wished, and it is shirk khafi to expect from them with the belief that they will create with the power given by Allahu ta'ala. It is conformable to Islam to expect a wish not from the causes but from Allahu ta'ala and to believe that not they but only Allahu ta'ala will create. This is how Muslims request something of the dead and souls. Such lawful requesting is called tawassul or istighatha.

To know whether a person who requests something from a dead or living person worships him or makes tawassul of him, we examine whether he does something unconformable to Islam when he requests. If he does, that is, if he commits a haram or omits a fard with a view to pleasing him, it can be concluded that he worships him. As it is seen, the Wahhabis who, while requesting something from living people, act unconformably to Islam to please them become polytheists. However, those Muslims who make tawassul without doing anything unconformable to Islam carry out Allahu ta'ala's command; that is, they hold to the causes. Of those who call these Muslims polytheists, the ones who do so without a tawil become polytheists. If one does something unconformable to Islam to satisfy the desires of his nafs, he will have worshiped his nafs. However, our religion does not define worshiping one's nafs as polytheism; that is, it makes one not a disbeliever but a sinner.

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TO RECEIVE BLESSINGS

6 - On page 142, he writes,

"The as-Sahaba and their successors did not intend to get blessings through anybody except the Prophet. No one can possess anything of the Prophet's attributes peculiar to him."

Here is another lie of the author. Hadrat 'Umar had gotten blessings through Hadrat 'Abbas before he went out for the prayers for rain. [Please see the 24th article for the details of this event.] Islamic scholars wrote in detail the attributes peculiar to Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam). The translation of Al-mawahib al-laduniyya is a good example. None of such books writes that the only one through whom one can get blessings is Rasulullah. Nor do they write that one cannot attain blessings through anyone else. They say that blessings can be attained through someone else too. It is a calumny about the Qur'an al-karim and the hadith ash-Sharif to liken visiting -with the view of getting blessings- the graves of those whom Allahu ta'ala loves to worshiping the idols at-Lat and al-'Uzza. It was declared in a hadith ash-Sharif, "He who calumniates the Qur'an al-karim becomes a non-Muslim." The Wahhabis, giving false meanings to ayats with ambiguous meanings, call Muslims "polytheists."

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THE ORIGIN OF TASAWWUF

7 - On page 126, he says,

"It is seen that tasawwuf, at its early stage, was planned by Indian Jews. It was adopted from the ancient Greeks. For this reason, they [mutasawwifs] disunited and broke Muslims into groups."

Also Mawdudi, a Pakistani la-madhhabi, disseminates the above-quoted words in his book The Revivalist Movement in Islam. Heretical people, in order to attain their desires and selfish advantages, put on attire which is deemed valuable and virtuous in the society. It is not difficult for wise, learned people to recognize such corrupt men and to distinguish them from the good. But an ignorant person believes them and, regarding those who have put on the attire of mutasawwif as real sufists, thinks that the superiors of tasawwuf were also like these "false sufists" and attempts to blame the great authorities of tasawwuf. Muslims should be able to distinguish the truth from falsehood and should not blame the great men of tasawwuf.

Imam Muhammad Mathum al-Faruqi (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaih), who was a specialist in tasawwuf, great alim and leader of the awliya' of his time, wrote in the fifty-ninth letter of the second volume of his Maktubat:

"All the outward and spiritual perfections have been attained through Muhammad Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam). The orders and prohibitions, which are outward, have been transmitted to us through the books written by our aimmat al-madhhahib. And the hidden knowledge pertaining to the heart and soul have been conducted through the great men of tasawwuf. It is written in the Sahih of al-Bukhari that Abu Huraira (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh) said, 'I filled two cups from Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam). I have explained the contents of one of them. You would kill me if I disclosed the other.' It is also written in the Sahih of al-Bukhari that when 'Umar (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh) died, his son 'Abdullah (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh) said that nine-tenths of knowledge had died and, seeing that the listeners were confused, added that he meant not the knowledge of fiqh but the knowledge of knowing Allahu ta'ala. All the paths of tasawwuf come from Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam). The superiors of tasawwuf have attained the ma'arif emanating from the blessed heart of Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) through their rehbers in every century. Tasawwuf was not made up by Jews or mutasawwifs. Indeed the terms fana', baqa', jadhba, suluk and sair-i ila'llah, which were used for attainments on the way of tasawwuf, were first used by the great leaders of tasawwuf. It is written in Nafakhat that Abu Said al-Harraz (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh) was the first one who used the terms fana' and baqa'. Then ma'arif of tasawwuf came from Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam). The names for these ma'arif were given later. It is written in many books that, before he was notified of his prophethood, he had performed dhikr by heart. Tawajjuh (thinking deeply) towards Allahu ta'ala, the dhikrs of nafi (negation) and ithbat (affirmation) and muraqaba (mediation) existed during the time of Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) and the as-Sahabat al-kiram (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anhum ajmain), too. Although the above terms had not been heard from Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam), his frequent reticencies showed that he had those ahwal (pl. of hal, spiritual state). He declared, 'A little tafakkur is more beneficial than the 'ibadat of a thousand years.' 'Tafakkur' means '(exercise of) discarding absurd thoughts and meditating on the Reality.' Khidir ('alaihi 's-salam) taught 'Abd al-Khaliq al-Ghunjdawani (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaih) that mutasawwifs should perform dhikr by repeating the kalimat at-tawhid.

"Question: If the ma'arif of tasawwuf had come from Rasulullah, there should not have been any differentiation. Contrarily, there are various branches of tasawwuf. Why are the ahwal and ma'arif in each of them different?"

"Answer: This difference is due to the difference in men's abilities and the conditions they are in. For example, though there may be a specific remedy for a disease, the prognosis and medical treatment varies with the patient. It is like the difference between photographs of a person taken by different photographers. Every perfection has been taken from Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam). There have been small differences due to power and manner of reception. Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) taught the ma'arif, secret sciences, to his companions in different degrees. As a matter of fact, he declared in a hadith ash-Sharif, 'Tell each person as much as he can understand!' One day while he was imparting some subtle knowledge to Hadrat Abu Bakr, Hadrat 'Umar came in and Rasulullah changed his way of expression. When Hadrat 'Uthman joined in, he did the same again. When Hadrat 'Ali came, he changed the way of his expression again. He spoke in different ways suitably with their talent and nature (radi-Allahu ta'ala anhum ajmain).

"All paths of tasawwuf originated from Hadrat Imam Jafar as-Sadiq (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh), who was joined to Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) with two lineages, one of which was his paternal way, which reached Rasulullah through Hadrat 'Ali (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh). The second line was his maternal grandfather's pedigree, which was related to Rasulullah through Hadrat Abu Bakr (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh). Because he descended maternally from Abu Bakr as-Siddiq and also received faid from Rasulullah through him, Hadrat Imam Jafar as-Sadiq said, 'Abu Bakr as-Siddiq gave me two lives.' These two ways of faid and marifa that Imam Jafar as-Sadiq had did not commingle or intersect. Faid has been flowing through Hadrat Imam to the great Akhrariyya guides from Hadrat Abu Bakr, and to the other silsilas (chains) from Hadrat 'Ali."

[On page 122 of the book, it is written:

"Rasulullah had told Huzaifat ibn al-Yaman the names of munafiqs on their way back from the Tabuk Battle. Huzaifa did not tell these names to anyone lest disunity should arise. As it is obvious, there was no secret knowledge of Huzaifa, as the sufi heretics claim. For, Islam is unhidden and has no secret knowledge."

In this passage, he alleges that the knowledge of tasawwuf was invented by Jews. However, on page 30, it has been said:

"Most of the Sahabis did not know the knowledge Rasulullah had intimated to Muaz ibn Jabal. Rasulullah had told Muaz not to tell it to anybody. Then, it is permitted to conceal knowledge for good and advantageous reasons."

It is obvious that the Wahhabite book lacks coherence. Every part of this book of five hundred pages is full of such similar incongruous, foolish lines. Quoting hundreds of ayats and hadiths, the writer throws dust into eyes and, because he does not know anything about the sciences of tafsir and hadith, goes astray by making up meanings with a swift pen and tries to mislead readers.]

Muhammad Mathum (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaih) wrote in his sixty-first letter of the second volume:

"The most valuable and most beneficial thing in this world is to attain the marifa of Allahu ta'ala, that is, to know Him. Allahu ta'ala can be known in two ways. In the first one, one can know Him as the scholars of Ahl as-Sunnat (rahimahum-Allahu ta'ala) communicated. The second one is the understanding of the great men of tasawwuf. The former knowledge can be gained as a result of study and meditation. The second one is attained through kashf and shuhud of the heart. The first one pertains to knowledge ('ilm), which originates from wisdom ('aql) and intelligence, while the second one pertains to a spiritual state (hal) which originates from the origin, the reality. In the first one, there exists an alim as a mediator. In the second, mediation of the 'arif comes to an end, because becoming an 'arif of something means being lost in that thing. This is expressed well in the verse,

Descending and ascending does not make you closer,

To get closer to Haqq means to cease existing!

The former is related to the 'ilm al-khusuli (knowledge attained by studying), and the latter to the 'ilm al-khuduree (knowledge attained through revelation). In the former the nafs has not given up disobedience, while in the latter the nafs has perished and is always with al-Haqq. In the former, iman and 'ibadat are in a superficial form, because the nafs has not become a believer yet. A hadith qudsi declares, 'Be at enmity with your nafs! It bears enmity against Me.' Iman of the heart mentioned above is called the 'iman al-majazi' (metaphoric belief), which may go away. In the latter, because there is no quality of being human left and because the nafs itself has become a believer, iman is protected from being lost, so it is called the 'iman al-haqiqi' (real belief). In this stage 'ibadat are real. The metaphor may be lost, but the reality will not cease existing. This real belief is referred to in the hadith ash-Sharif, 'Oh my Rabb! From You, I want iman the end of which is not disbelief,' and in the 136th ayat of the Surat an-Nisa, 'Oh believers! Believe in Allah and His Rasul.' Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala), in order to attain this marifa, although he was at a high degree in knowledge and ijtihad, ran to be in the service of Hadrat Bishr al-Hafi (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala). When he was asked why he kept close to Bishr al-Hafi, he answered, 'He knows Allah better than I do.' [The Wahhabite book, on page 109, writes, "Imam Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Hanbal's pedigree links on to that of Rasulullah's at Nizar ibn Mu'adh. He was the most superior scholar of his time in fiqh and hadith. He was at a very high level in wara and in following the Sunna. He was born in Baghdad in 164 and died there in 241 A.H." It is written in Farid ad-din al-Attar's (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) Persian Tadhkirat al-awliya that Ahmad ibn Hanbal attended the lectures of many mashayikhs, for example, Dhu'n-Nun al-Misri's and Bishr al-Hafi's (150-277). A crippled woman sent her son to Imam Ahmad and asked him to pray for her. The Imam performed an ablution (wudu) and salat and prayed. The son found his mother welcoming him at the gate when he returned home. She recovered her health through the blessing of Imam Ahmad's prayer.]

"Al-Imam al-azam Abu Hanifa (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) gave up the work of ijtihad in his last years. He attended Hadrat Jafar as-Sadiq's (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) sohbat for two years. When he was asked why he had done so, he answered, 'Numan [Hadrat al-Imam al-Azam's name was Numan.] would have perished if it weren't for those two years.' Although both the imams [Abu Hanifa and Ahmad ibn Hanbal] were at ultimately high grades in knowledge and 'ibadat, they went to the superiors of tasawwuf and attained marifa and its fruit, iman al-haqiqi. Was there another 'ibada more valuable than ijtihad? Was there a deed superior to teaching and disseminating Islam? Leaving these aside, they clung to, embraced the service of the superiors of tasawwuf, and thus attained marifa.

"The value of a'mal (deeds) and 'ibadat is measured with the degree of iman. The brilliance of 'ibadat depends on the amount of ikhlas. The more perfect iman becomes, the more ikhlas is attained, and deeds become all the more glorious and acceptable. The perfection of iman and completion of ikhlas depends on marifa. Since marifa and real belief depend on the attainment of fana' and death-before-death, the perfection of iman is as much as one's fana'. It must be for this reason that it was declared in a hadith ash-Sharif that Hadrat Abu Bakr as-Siddiq's (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh) iman was superior to all other Muslims' iman: ' 'Abu Bakr's iman, if weighed against the iman of all my umma, would weigh more,' for he was the most advanced of all the Umma in fana'. The hadith ash-Sharif, 'The one who wants to see a walking corpse must look at Abu Quhafa's son,' confirms this. All the Sahabat al-kiram (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anhum ajmain) had attained to the degree of fana'. The preference of Abu Bakr as-Siddiq's fana' in this hadith shows that his degree of fana' was very high."

Imam Muhammad Mathum (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) declares in the 106th letter of the second volume:

"Repeat the beautiful word 'La ilaha illa'llah' many, many times! Perform this dhikr with your heart! This blessed word is very beneficial in clearing the heart. Everything but Allahu ta'ala is annihilated when half of this beautiful word is uttered, and the existence of the true mabud (who is worshiped) is announced when the remaining half is said. And sair and suluk, that is, advance on the way of tasawwuf, are for attaining these two. It was declared in a hadith ash-Sharif, 'The most valuable word is La ilaha illa'llah.' Do not be in the company of many people! Worship much! Cling tightly to Rasulullah's Sunnat! Avoid bidat' and men of bidat' very much! Both the good and the wicked can do good deeds, but solely the Siddiqs abstain from bad things.

"You question whether it is malign for the wayfarer on the way of tasawwuf to wear very expensive clothes obtained in a halal way. The things in the hands or on the body of the one whose heart has attained to the degree of fana' and has no interest in anything except Allahu ta'ala do not prevent his heart from the dhikr. His heart has no relation with his exterior organs. Even his sleep is not an obstacle to his heart's work. It is not so with the one who has not been able to attain to the degree of fana', and his exterior, visible organs, do have a connection with his heart. However, it cannot be said that his wearing new, expensive clothes is an obstacle to his heart's work. Great guides of Islam, the imams of Ahl al-Bait, al-Imam al-azam Abu Hanifa and 'Abd al-Qadir al-Geilani (rahimahum-Allahu ta'ala) wore very expensive clothes. The books Khazanat ar-riwaya, Matalib al-Muminin and Dhahira report that Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) wore a jubba (long gown with full sleeves) which was worth a thousand dirhams of silver. He was seen performing salat wearing a jubba worth four thousand dirhams. Al-Imam al-azam Abu Hanifa (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) advised his disciples to wear new and valuable clothes. Hadrat Abu Said al-khudri was asked what his opinion about changes and new practices in eating, drinking and dressing was. He said that all were means to show Allahu ta'ala's favor when they were done with halal money and not for ostentation or with hypocrisy.

"Love for anything other than Allahu ta'ala is of two kinds. The first kind is the love for a creature through the heart and body and the desire to obtain it. Such is the love of the ignorant. It is for the purpose of redeeming the heart from this love that one endeavors on the way of tasawwuf. Thus, solely the love for Allahu ta'ala remains in the heart and one gets redeemed from occult polytheism. It is thus seen that tasawwuf is necessary for a person to get rid of occult polytheism. It is a means to attain the iman ordered in the ayat, 'O believers! Do believe!' The divine order in the 120th ayat of the Surat al-Anam, 'Give up the sins which are performed overtly with the organs or with the heart!' shows that it is necessary to unfasten the heart from its interest in everything but Allahu ta'ala. What kind of goodness could be expected of a heart in love with something other than Him? In Allahu ta'ala's sight, there is no value or importance in a soul that yearns for someone other than Him.

"The second kind of love is that in which solely the organs' love or wish is involved. The heart and soul, having already been devoted to Allahu ta'ala, know none but Him. This sort of love is called the 'mail tabii' (instinct). This love is only of the body. It does not smear the heart or soul. It arises from the properties and needs of substances and energy in the body. Love of this kind for creatures might exist in those who have attained fana' and baqa' and in the awliya' (rahimahum-Allahu ta'ala) of high status. In fact, it exists in all of them. Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) liked cool and sweet sherbets. The hadith ash-Sharif, 'I was allowed to like three things of your world,' is widely known. The books of Shama'il write that Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) liked clothes called 'al-burd al-yamani ' that were made of cotton and linen.

"When the nafs is honored with fana' and attains itminan (tranquillity), it becomes similar to the five latifas, namely the qalb (heart), ruh (soul), sirr (mystery), khafi (the secret) and akhfa (the most secret). And at this state of the nafs, jihad is made only against the evil desires of the substances and thermal and kinetic energy of the body. A hadith ash-Sharif declares, 'What is perceived through the sense organs affects [those who have] clean hearts and also cleansed nafses.' The effect on other people can be inferred accordingly.

"You ask whether it is permissible to eat what the following people might offer or to go to their houses: bidat-committer, bribe-taker, cheater (fraud), sinner. It is better not to eat and not to go. In fact, it is necessary for those who are on the way of tasawwuf to avoid them. It is permissible in case of necessity. It is haram to eat something which is known to be haram. It is halal to eat anything known to be halal. If it is not known whether it is halal or haram, it will be better not to eat it.

"Question: 'Is tasawwuf a bidat? Was it invented by Jews?'

"Answer: It is one of the orders of Islam to try to know Allahu ta'ala and, for this purpose, to look for and obey a rehber who knows and teaches the way of tasawwuf. Allahu ta'ala declared, 'look for a wasila to attain to Him!' The disciples' receiving faid and marifa from the rehber has been done and known by every Muslim since the time of Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam). It is not something introduced later by leaders of tasawwuf. Every rehber has held on to the rehber who has guided him. This chain of attachment goes back up to Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam). The chain of connection of the superiors of the Akhrariyya reaches him through Hadrat Abu Bakr (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh). And chains of other branches reach through Hadrat 'Ali (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh). Can this be called a bidat? Although such terms as murshid and murid were introduced later, names or words are of no particular importance. Even if these words did not exist, their meanings and the hearts' attachment would exist. [The Wahhabite book, too, says that not words but meanings should be taken into account.] The common fundamental job of all branches of tasawwuf is to teach how to do the dhikr, which is a command of our religion. The silent performance of a dhikr is more valuable than the vocal. 'The dhikr that the hafaza angels cannot hear is seventy times as valuable as that which the hafaza hear,' was declared in a hadith ash-Sharif. The dhikr commended in the hadith ash-Sharif is that performed by the qalb (heart) and the other latifas. It is written in valuable books that Rasulullah performed dhikr by the qalb before he was notified of the prophethood. Saying that tasawwuf is a bidat and that it was made up by Jews is like saying that it is a bidat to read the hadith book of al-Bukhari or the fiqh book Al-hidaya."

Muhammad Mathum al-Faruqi (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) wrote in the 36th letter of the second volume of his Maktubat:

The leader of the tasawwuf way (school) named Khwajaghan is 'Abd al-Khaliq al-Ghunjdawani (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala). The jadhba (attraction) of qayyumiyya peculiar to this way came to him from Hadrat Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh). And he taught the way of obtaining this jadhba. This way is called wuquf-i 'adadi and consists in the dihkr khafi, which again comes from Hadrat Abu Bakr. The second way, named jadhba ma'iyya, begun with Baha' ad-din al-Bukhari (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala). 'Ala ad-din al-'Attar (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala), the qutb of his time, established the conditions for the attainment of this jadhba. These conditions were called the Tariqa-i 'Ala'iyya. It has been reported that the shortest way [that makes one attain in the least time] is 'Ala'iyya." [It is also called the Ahrariyye because Ubaid-Allah al-Ahrari (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala), who passed away in Samarkand in 895 (1490 A.D.), disseminated the way of his master Ala ad-din al-Attar.]

Muhammad Mathum (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) wrote in the 158th letter of the second volume:

"For attaining saada (salvation), two things should be achieved. Firstly, the batin, that is, the heart, should be rescued from being fond of creatures. Secondly, the zahir, that is, the body, should be embellished by holding fast to the al-Ah'kam al-Islamiyya (the Rules of Islam). These two blessings are easily attained in the sohbat of the masters of tasawwuf. It is difficult to attain them by other means. In order to be able to hold fast to Islam, to carry out 'ibadat easily and to keep away from the prohibitions, the nafs has to become fani (resign itself). The nafs has been created as ferocious, disobedient and arrogant. Unless is saved from these evils, the reality (haqiqa) of Islam does not occur. Before resignation or tranquility, there is the surface or appearance of Islam. After the tranquility of the nafs, the reality of Islam occurs. The difference between the appearance and the reality is similar to that between the earth and the sky. The followers of the appearance attain to the appearance of Islam while those of the reality attain to the reality of Islam. The belief of the 'awam (the laity, ignoramuses) is called iman majazi (figurative belief). This belief may be defiled and vanish. The belief of the khawas (scholars, the people of the reality) is protected from fading away and from being spoilt. This real belief is indicated in the order, 'Oh the believers! Believe in Allah and His Prophet!' in the 135th ayat of the Surat an-Nisa."

Muhammad Mathum (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) wrote in the 16th letter of the third volume:

"Statements such as, 'Everything is Him. The word Allah is the name of everything. It is like the name Zaid indicating human being; whereas, each of his organs has a different name. Then, where is Zaid? He is nowhere. And Allahu ta'ala is seen in every being. Therefore, it is permissible to call everything Allah. Beings are all appearances. Their annihilation is also a kind of appearance. In reality, there is nothing that becomes non-existent,' express not believing in the One Being but in many beings, and this is not compatible with what the superiors of tasawwuf have said. By such statements, Allahu ta'ala is claimed to be in the material world, meaning that He is not a distinct being and needs His creatures for His existence and for the existence of His attributes. He is likened to the existence of compounds which are in need of the existence of elements. And this is disbelief in Allahu ta'ala and is frank kufr (unbelief). It is necessary to believe that the existence of Allahu ta'ala is distinct from the existence of the material and spiritual worlds. In other words, the Wajib (the Indispensable Being, the Creator) and the mumkin (the dispensable, the creation) are two distinct beings. There is distinction in every case where there is dichotomy. If someone argues, saying, 'If the 'alam (everything other than Allahu ta'ala) existed in reality, then there would be no dichotomy. The existence of the 'alam is in appearance,' we answer that the Really Existent Being does not unite with the imaginary one. That is, one cannot say, 'Everything is Him.' If, by saying so, one means to say, 'Everything is non-existent; He is the only One who exists,' then it is correct. Yet, it would have been expressed not plainly but figuratively. It is similar to one's saying, 'I saw Zaid,' upon seeing Zaid's image in the mirror [or on the television screen]. Saying these not in the figurative sense but in the plain sense is like saying 'lion' to a donkey. [Similarly, it is incorrect to say that the sound from a radio or a loudspeaker is the voice of the speaker.] A lion is different from a donkey. It cannot be written in words that the two are the same one. The superiors of tasawwuf who taught Wahdat al-wujud did not say, 'The Real Being is in the creatures. He does not exist separately'; they said, 'The creatures are His manifestations, appearances.' Muhyiddin ibn al-'Arabi and his followers (rahimahum-Allahu ta'ala) said 'Hama-ust,' that is, 'everything is Him,' in this sense.

"The statement, 'The 'alam has come as such, and so it will go on,' implies that the world is Qadim (eternal). Believing such is kufr and is a denial of the fact that the 'alam will become non-existent. The Qur'an al-karim openly declares that everything will be annihilated. Among those who say that they believe in the annihilation and resurrection of human beings, there are some who say. '[The bodies of] human beings are made of earthen material. They transform into earth [water and gas] after death. These materials are transferred to plants, and then to animals, and, by being eaten by human beings, are transformed into flesh, bone and semen; thus other human beings come about. This is how the resurrection or re-creation of human beings takes place.' [Of course, the transformation of substances as mentioned here is true. Such is Allahu ta'ala's Divine Rule. But] saying that this is how human beings are re-created means a denial of Qiyama (Doomsday), Nashr (Resurrection) and Hashr (assembling for the Judgement). It has been openly stated in the Qur'an al-karim and the Hadith ash-Sharif that the Last Day will come, that he dead will rise from their graves, that all living beings will be assembled in a large square, that the deed-books will be brought forward, that there will be reckoning, that the Balance will be set up, and that the believers will pass the Sirat Bridge and go into Paradise while the unbelievers will fall into Hell to remain in eternal torture. The denial of that day is unbelief, apostasy and atheism.

"Statements such as, 'The well-known salat (ritual prayers) has been ordered for ignorant people. The worship for the pure, exalted human beings is dhikr and tefekkur (contemplating Allahu ta'ala). All particles of the human body and everything are always busy with dhikr and worship. This is the way it is, even if man does not comprehend it. Islam has been sent for those with little wisdom. Thus, their mischief-making has been prevented,' are the words of the very ignorant with little wisdom. Our Prophet (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) declared that salat is a pillar of Islam. He said, 'He who performs salat has constructed the building of his faith. He who does not perform salat has demolished his faith. Salat is the miraj of the believer.' He felt at ease and peace in salat. The closeness in salat cannot be found in anything else; it was declared in a hadith ash-Sharif: 'The curtain between Allah and man is removed only during salat.' Every perfection can be reached by following al-Ah'kam al-Islamiyya (The Rules of Islam). He who departs from these rules, that is, the orders and prohibitions, deviates off the right track. He cannot attain to happiness. The Qur'an al-karim and the Hadith ash-Sharif order that these rules should be followed. The right path is that shown by the Qur'an al-karim and the Hadith ash-Sharif. Other paths are the paths of devils. 'Abdullah ibn Masud said, 'Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) drew a straight line. He said, "This is the only right path that leads man to the pleasure of Allahu ta'ala." Then, drawing slanting lines to the right and left of this line [like branches of a fishbone], he said, "And these are the paths of devils. The devil one each path calls one to it." Then he recited the ayat al-karima, "This is My right path. Come to [follow] it!" '

"The teachings revealed unanimously by prophets ('alaihimu 's-salam) and conveyed to us by the 'ulama' of Islam cannot be destroyed by the imagination of any one. It is unbelief and atheistic to say that the Rules of Islam are intended for the retrogressive. May Allahu ta'ala protect both us and you from believing such words! Amin."

Sayyid 'Abdulhakim Effendi (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaih), who was the mujaddid of the fourteenth century of the Hegira, the refuge of the lovers of al-Haqq, the treasure of the Zahiri and batini knowledge, the indisputable proof of awliya', the master of 'arifin, the leader of muhaqqiqin, the elect of 'ubbad, the guide of rasikhin, the apple of Muslims' eyes, the expert in tasawwuf, the heir of Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam), and whose books are documents and whose speeches were full of wisdom, wrote very concisely the definition, history, subject and terminology of tasawwuf in his Turkish work Ar-riyadu 't-tasawwufiyya. [Published by the Harbiyye Mektebi Matbaasi in Istanbul in 1341 (1923 A.D.).] He wrote in the preface:

"Since there is no superiority more honorable and more valuable than having attended the sohbat of our Prophet (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam), those who had attained to that honor were called the Sahaba. Those who came after them were called the Tabiin because they followed (tabi') them in practice, and those who followed them were called Atba' at-Tabiin. After them, those who excelled in religious affairs were called zuhhad and 'ubbad. Thereafter, bidat' increased and every group called their leader zahid and 'abid. Those who were in the group of Ahl as-Sunnat protected their hearts from ghafla (forgetfulness of Allahu ta'ala) and secured the obedience of their nafses to Allahu ta'ala. This state of theirs was called tasawwuf while such a Muslim was called a sufi (Persian Sufi). These terms were first used at the end of the second century of the Hegira. The first one who was called a sufi was Abu Hashim Sufi of Kufa (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala). He was engaged in irshad (enlightenment, initiation) in Damascus and passed away in 115. He was the ustadh (master) of Sufyan ath-Thawri (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala), who passed away in Basra in 161 (778 A.D.). Sufyan said, 'If Abu Hashim Sufi had not been, I would not have known the Rabbani (Divine) realities. I had not known what tasawwuf was before I saw him.' The first tekke was constructed for Abu Hashim in Ramlah city. The saying, 'Breaking mountains into dust using a needle is easier than removing haughtiness from the heart,' belongs to him. He frequently said, 'I take refuge in Allah from useless knowledge.'

"The men of tasawwuf have been honored with a branch of knowledge in addition to that of the other scholars of Islam. This knowledge of theirs is the expression of the dhawq resulting from their combating with their nafses. When the branches of knowledge were begun to be transferred from the heart to written form, the superiors of the men of tasawwuf also began writing on this branch of knowledge. Haris ibn Asad al-Muhasibee (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala), who passed away in Basra in 241 (855 A.D.), gave extensive information on wara' and taqwa in his book Kitab ar-Ri'aya. Imam 'Abd al-Karim al-Quishayri (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala), who passed away in Nishapur in 376 (987 A.D. ), in his well-known Ar-risala, and Shihab ad-din 'Umar as-Suhrawardi (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala), who passed away in 632 (1234), in his 'Awarif al-Ma'arif, have given information on the rules of Tariqa and the wajd (ecstasy) and ahwal (states). Imam Muhammad al-Ghazali (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaih) explained in detail these two groups of teachings in his book Ihya'.

"As it is seen, the beginning of tasawwuf goes back to the beginning of the prophethood (nubuwwa, risala). The knowledge of tasawwuf is the product of understanding the realities of the heavenly religions. The marifas of Wahdat al-Wujud, which is a part of tasawwuf, should not be confused with the wahda which was deduced by the Buddhists and the Jews through reason and austerities. The former consists of the marifas comprehended through dhawq while the latter consists of the fancies produced by the mind. The heedless who have not tasted this dhawq think that the two are the same."

[Allahu ta'ala declares in the Surat adh-Dhariyat, "I have created genies and men so that they should perform 'ibada [for Me]." And 'ibadat, in its turn, will cause qurb and marifa. This means to say that men are commanded to become awliya', which is possible by observing the nafila (supererogatory) 'ibadat together with the fard ones and keeping away from the holders of bidat. The duties practiced on the way of tasawwuf are the 'ibadat which are nafila. Ikhlas, which is a condition for the acceptance of the fards, is attainable by doing these duties. The above-given information clearly shows that the Wahhabis' statement, "Tasawwuf has been adapted from Jews and ancient Greeks," is an atrocious lie and slander.]

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THE DEAD; THE SOULS OF AWLIYA

8 - The Wahhabite book writes on its 168th and 353rd pages:

"It is unanimous that taking anyone as a mediator between Allah and His creatures or asking him for something is kufr. Ibn Qayyim said that it was great polytheism to ask a dead person for something or for his intercession with Allah. The Hanafi book Fatawa al-Bazaziyya states that anyone who says that souls of mashayikh are present becomes a disbeliever. It is understood from ayats and hadiths that there is no sense or motion in the dead."

While it says on page 70:

" 'Ukasha asked Rasulullah to pray so that he could go to Paradise without reckoning (undergoing judgement in the next world). This shows that it is permitted to ask a living person to pray. But it is polytheism to ask absentees and the dead for prayer."

The prayers of those who faithfully follow Rasulullah's (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) path are accepted like his prayers. The Wahhabite book itself, on page 281, quotes the hadith ash-Sharif reported by Imam Ahmad and Muslim (rahimahumallahu ta'ala) from Abu Huraira (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh): "There are such men whose hair is unkempt and who have been dismissed from doors, but if they take an oath Allahu ta'ala creates what they wish to prove them right." Allahu ta'ala, Who creates even what His human servants swear upon so that they would not be reduced to liars, will no doubt accept their prayers. Allahu ta'ala declares in the sixtieth ayat of the Surat al-Mumin, "Pray to Me! I will accept your prayers." There are conditions which govern the acceptance of prayers. If those conditions are fulfilled, prayers will no doubt be accepted. Because one cannot gather together all these conditions, prayers fall short of acceptance. Why should it be polytheism to beg prayers from the 'ulama' and awliya', who certainly have fulfilled those conditions? We say that Allahu ta'ala makes the souls of His beloved servants capable of hearing, and, for their love, creates the things wished. We slaughter animals and recite the Qur'an al-karim for the sake of Allahu ta'ala, send the thawab to a dead Muslim's soul and seek his intercession and help. He who performs 'ibada for the sake of the dead certainly becomes a polytheist, but he who performs 'ibada for the sake of Allahu ta'ala and sends the thawab to the dead does not become a polytheist or a sinner. [See below, the 24th article for detailed explanation of this subject translated from the Arabic Al-minhat al-wahbiyya.] The author of the Wahhabite book, too, reports the karamat of Hadrat Maryam, Asyad ibn Hadir and Abu Muslim 'Abdullah al-Hawlani [Abdullah al-Halwani passed away in Damascus in 62.] (rahimahum-Allahu ta'ala). Because Allahu ta'ala's beloved servants' souls, not only when alive but also when dead, help living people with the force and permission bestowed by Allahu ta'ala, we ask the souls of awliya' (rahimahum-Allahu ta'ala) for help. With this belief in heart, to ask their help does not come to mean to worship someone other than Allahu ta'ala, but it means to ask of Him.

Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyya (died in 751/1350), who is called "'Allama" (eminent master) and whose writings are used as documents in the Wahhabite book, is quoted elsewhere [Al-basa'ir li-munkiri't tawassuli bi-ahli'l-maqabir, originally edited in Pakistan; Istanbul impression, 1980, p 22.] as having written in his Kitab ar-Ruh: "When someone visit a grave, the dead person in the grave recognizes the visitor and hears his voice. He becomes cheerful and responds to his greeting. This is not peculiar to martyrs; it is the same for other dead people, too. This is not restricted to a certain time, either; it is always as such." The writer's statements contradict these words of his own master.

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TO ASK HELP OF THE BELOVED PROPHET

9 - On pages 179 and 191, he quotes the hadith ash-Sharif, "Oh Fatima! Ask me for whatever property you wish! But I cannot rescue you from Allahu ta'ala's punishment!" and goes on:

"It is permissible to ask a human being for what he can do in the world. It is permissible to ask of only Allah to be forgiven, to go to Paradise, to be rescued from Hell and similar things solely Allah can do. Only Allah may be entreated for succor, for help or to get redeemed from trouble. Those who are far away and the dead are not asked for succor. They can neither hear nor answer. They cannot do anything. Hadrat Husain and his father enjoy the blessings in their graves, but those who are known as gods, such as polytheist Ahmad at-Tijani, Ibn al-'Arabi and Ibn al-Farid are in torture. They do not hear anything. The prophets are not to be asked for succor, either. Al-Busayri and Bari in their qasidas commended Rasulullah to excess, thus they became disbeliever, polytheists."

In many places of his book, for example on page 323, he says:

"It is polytheism to believe that the prayers of the dead or of absentees will help and ward off harm, or that they will intercede for those who pray for them. Allah sent His Prophet to annihilate such polytheism and to fight against such polytheists."

The Wahhabite book contradicts itself. On page 201, it writes:

"Allah creates sensitivity and marifa in heavens. They fear Allah. Every minute particle is in the remembrance of Allah and fears Him."

In contradiction to this statement, he claims that the prophets and awliya' do not feel or hear anything in their graves.

Ayyub Sabri Pasha (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala), who died in 1308/1890, wrote in his book Mirat al-Madina:

"Scholars of Islam have always asked Allahu ta'ala for favor and mercy through the intercession of Rasulullah ('alaihi 's-salam). The father of mankind, Adam ('alaihi 's-salam), when he was brought down onto the earth, said, 'Oh my Rabb! Forgive me for the love of Muhammad ('alaihi 's-salam)!' Allahu ta'ala accepted his prayer and asked, 'How do you know My Beloved Prophet Muhammad ('alaihi 's-salam)? I have not created him yet!' He answered, 'When You created me, as soon as I lifted up my head I saw La ilaha illa 'llah Muhammadun Rasulullah written on the edges of the Divine 'Arsh; so I understood that Muhammad ('alaihi 's-salam) was the most superior of creatures. You wouldn't have written his name side by side with Yours if you had not loved him more than all.' And Allahu ta'ala said, 'Oh Adam! You have told the truth! I love Muhammad ('alaihi 's-salam) very much. I have not created anyone else more beloved than he. If I had not willed creating him, I wouldn't have created you. As you have asked forgiveness for his sake, I have accepted your prayer and forgiven you.'

"A man blind in both eyes asked Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) to pray so that his eyes could see. Rasulullah said, 'I will pray if you wish, but it will be better if you have patience and endure it.' 'I have no power left to endure. I beg you to pray,' the blind Muslim replied. 'Then, perform an ablution and say the prayer...' the Prophet ordered him. [The prayer is written in the Arabic books ad-durar as-saniyya and Al-fajr as-sadiq, in Maraq al-falah and its at-Tahtawi commentary and at the end of the subject on 'salat hajat' in Ni'met-i Islam, the Turkish version of the latter two.] Al-Imam an-Nasai (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala), a hadith alim, reported that, when the blind man prayed, Allahu ta'ala accepted his prayer and he recovered. Imam Hasan, too, confirmed this event. There is no reason left for the Wahhabis not to believe it. 'Uthman ibn Hanif, who narrated this event, said, 'When 'Uthman ibn 'Affan (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anhuma) was the Khalifa, someone who was in great trouble told me about his personal griefs and that he was ashamed of going to the Khalifa. I told him to perform an ablution and to go to Masjid as-Saada and say the prayer which restored the blind Muslim's sight. That poor man, after saying the prayer, went to the Khalifa. He was received. The Khalifa had him sit on his prayer-rug and listened to him, his trouble, and accepted his request.' That poor man, seeing his problems solved at once, came to 'Uthman ibn Hanif and cheerfully said, 'May Allahu ta'ala bless you! I wouldn't have been able to get rid of these troubles if you hadn't had a word with the Khalifa.' But 'Uthman ibn Hanif said, 'I did not even see the Khalifa. It was because of the prayer which I taught you that your problems were soon solved. I heard that prayer when Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) taught it to a blind Muslim, who, I swear by Allah, gained his sight before he walked away from Rasulullah.'

"Once there was famine during the caliphate of 'Umar (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh). Hadrat Bilal ibn Hars (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh), a Sahabi, went to Rasulullah's (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) tomb and said, 'O Rasul-Allah! your umma is starving to death. I beg you to intercede for [us that it shall] rain.' That night, he dreamed of Rasulullah, saying, 'See the Khalifa! Give my salam to him! He shall go out to pray for rain!' Hadrat 'Umar went out to pray for rain, and it started raining and fruitfulness settled everywhere.

"Allahu ta'ala accepts prayers for the sake of His beloved servants. Allahu ta'ala declared that He loved Muhammad ('alaihi 's-salam). Therefore, if anyone prays saying, 'Allahumma inni asaluka bijah-i Nabiyyika 'l-Mustafa,' his prayer will not be refused. But it is against adab to make an intercessor of Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) for unimportant, mundane affairs.

"Burhan ad-din Ibrahim al-Maliki (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala), who passed away in 799 A.H. (1397), told about a very poor man who went to the Hujrat as-Saada and said, 'Oh Rasul-Allah! I am hungry.' After a while, someone came and took him to his house and served him food. When the poor man said that his prayer had been accepted, the host said, 'My Brother! You left your family at home and had a long, strenuous journey to visit Rasulullah; is it appropriate to enter Rasulullah's audience for a morsel of food? You should have asked for Paradise and endless favors in that high, noble audience. Allahu ta'ala does not refuse requests there.' Those who attain the honor of visiting Rasulullah should pray for him to intercede for them on the Day of Judgement.

"Once Imam Abu Bakr al-Mukri, al-Imam at-Tabarani [Abu'l Qasim Sulaiman at-Tabarani was an imam of hadith. He was born in Tabariyya in 260 and passed away in Isfahan in 360 A.H. (971).] and Abu Shaikh (rahimahum-Allahu ta'ala) spent a few days in hunger in Masjid as-Saada. At last, after the night prayer, Imam Abu Bakr, being unable to endure any more, said, 'I am hungry, Oh Rasul-Allah!' and retired into a corner. His two friends were reading a book. A noble person, who was a sayyid, came with his two servants and said, 'My Brethren! You have asked my grandfather, Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) to help you find food. He ordered me [in my dream] to bring you food when I dozed off for a while.' They all ate the food together and the sayyid went back leaving the remaining food with the three.

"Once Abu 'l-'Abbas ibn Nafis (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala), who was blind, had been hungry for three days. Her went to the Hujrat as-Saada and said, 'Oh Rasul-Allah! I am hungry!' and began waiting at a corner. After a while, someone came and took him to his house. He served him food and said, 'Oh Abul-'Abbas! I dreamt of our master Rasulullah. He ordered me to give you food. Come to us whenever you are hungry!'

"Imam Muhammad Musa ibn Numan al-Marrakushee al-Maliki (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala), an Islamic scholar (d. 683/1284), listed those who had attained their wishes by making Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) their intercessor in his book Misbah az-zulam fi'l-mustaghisin bi-khayri 'l-anam. One of them, Muhammad ibn Munkadir, said that a man, before going out for jihad, had deposited eighty gold coins with his father for safe-keeping and said, 'Keep them for me! You may lend them to the needy.' Muhammad's father had lent them to those who suffered from famine. When the man came back and wanted his money back, his father told him to come the next night and supplicated at the Hujrat as-Saada till morning. 'My father said that a man came who told him to open his hands and gave him a packet of gold coins. He counted them at home and saw that they were eighty gold coins. Delighted, he returned them to the owner.'

"Ibn Jalah (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala), when he became poor in Medina, went to the Hujrat as-Saada and said, 'Oh Rasul-Allah! I came to you as a guest today. I am very hungry.' Then he went aside and slept. Rasulullah appeared in his dream and gave him a big loaf of bread. Later he said, 'Because I was very hungry, I started eating at once. After I ate half of the loaf I woke up. I saw the remaining half in my hands.'

"Abu 'l-Khair 'Aqta' (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala), after five days of hunger in Medina, came to the Hujrat as-Saada and greeted Rasulullah. He said he was hungry and soon fell asleep at a side. In his dream he saw Rasulullah coming, Abu Bakr as-Siddiq on his right, 'Umar Faruq on his left and 'Ali al-Murtada (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anhum ajma'in) walking in front of him. Hadrat 'Ali came and said, 'O Aba 'l-Khair! Stand up! Why are you lying down? Rasulullah is coming! He immediately stoop up. Rasulullah came and gave him a big loaf of bread. Later Abu 'l-Khair said, 'I began eating as soon as I took the loaf -I was very hungry. I woke up when, I had eaten half of the loaf, and I found the other half in my hands.'

"Abu 'Abdullah Muhammad ibn Bar'a (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) said that his father, Abu 'Abdullah ibn Hafif (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala), who died in 371/981, and he ran out of money in Mecca. They went to Medina. Being yet a child, he wept, crying that he was hungry. His father could not stand any more and went to the Hujrat as-Saada and said, 'Oh Rasul-Allah! We are your guests tonight.' Opening his eyes, 'Rasulullah put money in my hand,' he said. Abu 'Abdullah said, 'I saw the money when he opened his hand. We spent some and also gave alms. Then we safely returned to our home in Shiraz.'

"Abu 'l-'Abbas Ahmad ibn Muhammad Wa'iz al-AndAlusi al-Sufi (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala), who passed away in Egypt in 684/1284, said, 'While in the Hijaz deserts, I had no possessions left. I reached Medina. I gave salam to Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) by the Hujrat as-Saada. Then I sat somewhere and slept. Rasulullah appeared. "Have you come, Ahmad? Open your hands!" He ordered. He filled my hands with gold. I woke up. My hands were full of gold coins.'

"If, somehow, what the lovers of Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) say out of their pure heart seems unsuitable with modesty or respectfulness, one should not say anything against them but be silent. It is of modesty and respectfulness to be silent in such cases. One of the lovers used to call the adhan near the Qabr as-Saada and say that salat was better than sleep. One of the servants at Masjid an-Nabi said, 'You behave immodestly in Rasulullah's (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) presence,' and beat him. Thereupon the other man said, 'Oh Rasul-Allah! Isn't it immodesty to beat and to swear at a man in your audience?' After a while, it was seen that the one who beat him became paralyzed, lost his ability to move his hands and feet and died three days later. Hafiz Abul-Qasim 'Ali ibn 'Asakir (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala), who passed away in Damascus in 571 A.H. (1176), reported this event in his book and added that Thabit ibn Ahmad al-Baghdadi (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala), too, was an eye-witness.

"Ibn an-Numan narrated in his book Ibn as-Said that (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) and his friends, having spent all their money in Medina, visited the Hujrat as-Saada, and, at the end of the visit, Hadrat Ibn as-Said said, 'Oh Rasul-Allah! We have no money left, nor have we food!' and walked backwards. At the exit of the Masjid, he met someone who took them to his house and gave them plenty of dates and money.

"Sharif Abu Muhammad 'Abd as-Salam al-Fasi (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala), at the end of his three-day stay in Medina, performed two rak'as of salat at the back of the Minbar [of Masjid an-Nabi] and entreated, 'Oh my High Ancestor! I have become so hungry that I cannot stand!' After a little while, someone came carrying a tray of cooked meat, butter and bread. Although he thankfully said that one of them was enough, the person responded, 'Please eat all three! I brought them because Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) ordered so. After I had prepared food for my children, I dreamt of Rasulullah who ordered, "Take some to your Brother-in-Islam at the Masjid; let him eat." '

"Sharif Muhassir al-Qasimi (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) once fell asleep in front of the Tahajjud Mihrab on the Damascene [north] side of the Hujrat as-Saada. Then he suddenly stood up and came to the front of the Hujrat as-Saada. He walked back smiling. Shams ad-din Thawab, director of the servants at Masjid an-Nabi, who was by the Mihrab, asked why he had smiled. He said he had had no food in his house for a few days and had come here after saying, 'Oh Rasul-Allah! I've been hungry,' by Hadrat Fatima's tomb. He went on, 'I fell asleep here and in my dream saw my High Ancestor give me a bowl of milk. I drank it and woke up, the bowl still in my hands. I approached the Hujrat at-Tahira to give thanks. I smiled because of the delight and flavor I felt. Here is the bowl!' This event is written in detail in the book Misbah az-zulam.

" 'Ali ibn Ibrahim al-Busree reported 'Abd as-Salam ibn Abi Qasim as-Sahabi (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh) as saying in front of the Hujrat as-Saada, 'Oh Rasul-Allah! I come from Egypt. I have been your- guest for five months. I have been starving for days. I want food from Allahu ta'ala.' Then he went aside and sat down. Someone, after greeting in front of the Hujrat as-Saada, took 'Abd as-Salam by the hand and offered him food in his tent. He ate some. Whenever he was in Medina, this man took him to his tent and offered him food.

"Once Imam Nur ad-din 'Ali ibn Ahmad as-Samhudi (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala), who wrote the books Al-Wafa' and Khulasat al-Wafa' about al-Madinat al-munawwara and died in 911/1505, lost his key. At last he went to the Hujrat as-Saada and said, 'Oh Rasul-Allah! I lost my key, I can't go home!' A boy brought the key. It is written in Tareekh al-Madina by him that the boy said, 'I found this key. Is it yours?'

"Shaikh Salih 'Abd al-Qadir (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) said, 'I had been hungry for some days in Medina. After visiting the Hujrat as-Saada, I went so far as to ask Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) for bread, meat and dates. Then I performed two rak'as of salat at the Rawdat al-Mutahhara and sat nearby. After a little while, a gentleman came and took me to his house. He offered me roasted meat, bread and dates. He said he was having qailula, a sunnat of resting for a while in the afternoon, during which he dreamt of our master Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) who described and introduced me to him and told him to give me food.'

"Sayyid Ahmad al-Madani Effendi, a descendant of Sulaiman al-Jazuli (rahimahum-Allahu ta'ala), author of the book Dala'il al-khairat, was alive when this book Mirat al-Madina was written in 1301 A.H. He said that his father was so poor that he could not buy what his son wanted -apples, pears, dates. So, he would advice his son -to amuse him- to go and ask Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam). Therefore, he used to go to the door of the Hujrat as-Saada and ask for whatever he wished, and what he wished would be handed from inside through the Shabakat as-Saada, and he would take and eat it.

"Mustafa 'Ishqi Effendi (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) of Kilis wrote in his history book Mawarid-i Majidiyya: 'I stayed in Mecca for twenty years. I, my wife and children, after saving sixty gold coins, emigrated to Medina in 1247 A.H. (1831). We spent all the money during the journey. We went to a friend as guests. I visited the Hujrat as-Saada and asked Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) for help. Three days later a gentleman came to the house where we were staying and said that he had rented a house for us. He payed the rent for the year. After a few months, I fell ill and stayed in bed for a month. There was nothing left to eat or sell in the house. I climbed up the stairs to the roof with my wife's help with the view of telling my trouble by turning towards Rasulullah's (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) tomb and asking for help. But when I raised my hands to pray, I felt ashamed to ask for something worldly. I couldn't say anything. I descended down to my room. The next day, someone came and said that so and so effendi sent some gold coins to me as a gift. I took the purse. Our trouble ended but my illness went on. Assisted, I went to the Hujrat as-Saada and asked Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) for relief. I got out of the Masjid and walked home without anybody's help. My illness was completely over when I entered the house. I went out with a walking stick for a few days for protection against evil eyes. soon, the money was all spent. Leaving my wife and children in the dark, I performed the night prayer in Masjid an-Nabawi and then told Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) about my trouble. On the way back home someone I did not know approached and gave me a purse. I saw there were forty-nine gold coins each worth nine piasters. I bought candles and other needs and returned home.'

"Mustafa 'Ishqi Effendi further wrote that, when his son Muhammad Salih was yet in his swaddling-clothes, his wife became ill and was not able to suckle the child any more. Distressed, he took the baby to the Hujrat as-Saada and put it at the foot of the curtain. 'Allahumma inni asaluka wa atawajjuhu ilaika Nabiyyina wa sayyidina Muhammadin (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) Nabiyyirrahma, ya sayyidina ya Muhammad! Inni atawajjahu ila Rabbika arsil murdi'ata li-hadhal mathum,' he prayed. Early the following morning an officer named Sharif came and said, 'Sir, my three-month old daughter died. We cannot stop its mother's milk. I would like to know if anyone needs a wet-nurse.' He showed him the baby. 'We will nurse it for Allahu ta'ala's sake if you give it to us. We will bring it up well. My wife will be very glad,' the officer said and took the baby with him.

"Again 'Ishqi Effendi went on, 'I had a hard time and was short of money in 1257. I though of going to Istanbul. I sat in a corner at the Rawdat al-Mutahhara on the Ragha'ib night (the night before the first Friday in the month of Rajab). I attached my heart to the Hujrat as-Saada to ask Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) for permission. I fell asleep. In my dream, I heard three times a voice say, "Go to Istanbul and be the guest of Mustafa Pasha!" I woke up and returned home. I bade farewell to my wife and children and set out. I walked all the way to Alexandria where I had no money to pay for ship fare. I was very depressed. I remembered the hadith ash-Sharif, "Ask those who are in graves for help when you are confused or in trouble!" I visited the tomb of Imam Muhammad al-Buseeree (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala), writer of Qasidat al-burda (d. in 695/1295). I asked for Allahu ta'ala's help, making the blessed soul of this person, who was one of Allahu ta'ala's beloved servants, my mediator. When I went out, I met a man named Ahmad Beg from Serez who said he had been looking for me. He said, "My master Ottoman statesman Said Muhibb Effendi (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala), having heard that you are here, wishes to have the honor of seeing you, so he will be very pleased if you will be so kind as to come." We went to the mansion where Muhibb Effendi welcomed me with grace and respect. "We may go to Istanbul together by ship if you would like," he said. The next day, three purses of money came from Muhammad 'Ali Pasha (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala), the Governor of Egypt. We went to Istanbul by ship. We were kept in quarantine on board for twenty-one days. As soon as I got off the ship on Friday, I went directly to Ayyub Sultan, where I visited Hadrat Khalid ibn Zaid (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh) and said from the heart that I was a lonely poor guest of him begging for help. After performing the Friday prayer in the Ayyub Mosque, I entered the tomb among the jamaat and sat down at one side. A man whom I did not know asked me to order him where he should take me. Someone behind hit me with his fist softly on the back and said, "To the place where you were ordered to go." ' They spoke as they walked:

" 'Who was the one who hit me?' 'Ishqi Effendi asked.

" 'His name is Mahmud. People of Ayyub call him Majdhub (one crazy with love of Allahu ta'ala),' answered the man.

" 'Where are we going now?'

" 'Your humble servant, myself, is an attendant of Mustafa Nuri Pasha (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala), Minister of War and former Chief Secretary of the Imperial Office. He ordered me to find you.'

" 'We are not acquainted with Mustafa Pasha, I wonder why he ordered so?'

" 'I don't know. Mentioning your name with respect, he told me that he would be waiting for you,' the attendant said.

" 'Neither you knew me nor is there anyone at Ayyub who knows me; I hope you aren't mistaken?'

" 'No sir. His Excellency [the Pasha] told me that I would find such and such a blessed person at Ayyub after the Friday prayer today and that I should take that person respectfully and modestly to him. He described your features,' he said.

" 'When I heard these words, I thought Mustafa Pasha must have received a divine command. He welcomed me with great kindness, respect and modesty. He said that I was his guest and could stay there as long as I wanted and that I could go visiting the places I wished and come again. He put a few servants under my order. The next day was the visiting day of the Shaikh 'Abd al-Qadir Mawlawi Tekke. I went there and sat inside. Someone came and politely and modestly asked what my name was, when I came to Istanbul and whose guest I was. He listened to my answer and moved away. I told about his inquiry to Mustafa Pasha when I returned. Then the Pasha said, "Our Great Sultan (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) honored there today. His Great Person loves and respects the Muslims who live in al-Makkat al-Mukarrama and al-Madinat al-Munawwara. I guess our Sultan Effendi sent that man to you." I asked, "Can I have the honor of seeing our Sultan's blessed face?" and the Pasha said, "Yes, you may attain that honor if you go to the mosque where the Sultan performs the Friday prayer." He sent me to the Friday procession. The procession ceremony was at the Beylerbeyi Mosque. I stood aside waiting to see the blessed face of the Sultan, who stopped his rearing horse when his truth-seeing blessed eyes caught the sight of this humble servant who loved him. He sent the Sar-'Askar Pasha (Commander-in-Chief) to me. Sar-'Askar Pasha came to me and said, " 'Ishqi Effendi! Our Sultan sends his salams to you! His Great Person ordered that a salary of three hundred kurushes be paid to you. He said you should not worry about your wife and children and that you should visit and see everyplace in Istanbul."

" 'I understood that this imperial edict of our Sultan 'Abd al-Majid Khan (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) was one of his many kashfs and karams I had often heard of. I was relieved from worring about my family. A few months later I returned to al-Madinat al-munawwara, and found my family in comfort and contentment. I learned that it was because Hadrat Sultan 'Abd al-Majid Khan (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) had sent three thousand kurushes to my family on my behalf. His Great Person made us all happy by sending an additional seven thousand kurushes after my arrival. Like all Muslims we prayed for the Exalted Sultan in gratitude after every salat. On every occasion, I recited my eulogy in praise of him in order to attain the honor of expressing Hadrat 'Abd-al-Majid Khan's gifts and karamats.'

"The tekke where 'Ishqi Effendi went was the Mawlawi-khana tekke at Besiktas, Istanbul. Later, it was moved to the tekke on the Behariyya Street, Ayyub. In those days the shaikh of the tekke was 'Abd al-Qadir Dede.

" 'Ishqi Effendi must have been a great person, for, whatever he wished for by the Hujrat as-Saada was accepted. While he was in Medina, Tawfiq Beg (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala), an official at the Board of Admiralty, suffered a sore in his eyes. He visited the Hujrat as-Saada and prayed for his eyes' recovery or for being able to go to Istanbul. 'Ishqi Effendi came to him just after he returned to where he stayed and silently recited a prayer and breathed on him and soon the ache stopped.

"A man from Istanbul stayed in Medina for seven years, where he read the book Dala'il al-khairat at the place called the Rawdat al-Mutahhara every day. Whenever he started reading the Dala'il he would notice by him an old man neatly dressed, sweet-smelling, with beard and mustache cut as prescribed by the Sunnat. When he was about to start back to Istanbul, he said in a prayer in front of the Hujrat as-Saada, 'Oh Rasul-Allah! You know that I have been reading the Dala'il from beginning to end at this holy place every day. I do not know if it was accepted. Was I not able to observe the reverence necessary while reading this blessed book?' He sat aside and soon fell asleep. He dreamt of our master Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) holding out a bowl of milk through the window of the Muwajahat as-Saada. He took and drank it. When he woke he found that sweet-smelling old man, who said, 'May it do you good, my brother,' and went away.

"Many books have been written telling and exemplifying that the prayers in which Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) was held as a mediator were accepted. Many wonderful events were written in Bayan-i intisar by Abu Sulaiman Dawud ash-Shadhili al-Iskandari (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala), who was Maliki and who passed away in 732 A.H. (1332).

"Ibn Muhammad al-Ashbili said, 'During my stay in Granada, Spain, my host, an old friend of mine, became ill. His life was despaired of. Ibn al-Hisal (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala), who was the vizier at that time, visited him. He wrote a letter, asking Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) for help for my host's recovery, to be delivered to the Hujrat as-Saada. My host recovered a few days later.'

"It is written in the second volume of the translation of the book Shaqayiq-i Numaniyya that when the great Islamic scholar Mawlana Shamsaddin Muhammad Hamza al-Fanaree (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala), the first Shaikh al-Islam of the Ottoman Empire and mujaddid of his time, became blind from cataracts, he one night dreamt of our master Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam), who commanded him, 'Explain (make a tafsir of) the Sura Taha!' He replied, 'I do not have the power to explain al-Qur'an al-karim in your audience. Besides, my eyes cannot see.' Then our master Rasulullah, who was the physician of prophets, pulled out a piece of cotton from his blessed khirka and, after wetting it with his blessed saliva, put it on Molla al-Fanaree's eyes, who woke up and found the piece of cotton on his eyes, and when he took it away he began to see. He praised and thanked Allahu ta'ala. He kept the piece of cotton and willed that it should be put on his eyes after his death. His testament was fulfilled when he died in Bursa in 834 A.H. (1431).

"For those prayers which were said to Allahu ta'ala and in which our master Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) was made an intercessor were accepted, Hadrat 'Umar (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh), the Khalifa of Muslims, when there was famine in Medina, went out for the rain-prayer and, making an intercessor of 'Abbas ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh), said, 'Oh my Rabb! We pray to Thee through Thy Beloved Prophet! We ask Thee for rain for the love of Your Messenger's respected uncle! Accept our prayer!'

"Muslims suffered from famine once again during Hadrat 'Umar's (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh) caliphate. Hadrat Qa'b al-Akhbar (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh) said, 'Ya Amir al-Muminin [Oh the Head of the Faithful]! At the time of the sons of Israil, when there was famine, the prophets were made intercessors in prayers.' Thereupon, Hadrat 'Umar ascended Rasulullah's (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) minbar and said, 'Oh my Rabb! Through the intercession of Thy Prophet's uncle we beg Thee and for his honor we ask absolute forgiveness and benevolence from Thee!' Then to the jamaat he said, 'Pray to your Rabb! He is the One who answers prayers!' Hadrat 'Abbas (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh) said a long prayer upon this order of the Khalifa. Before his prayer ended, the streets of Medina were flooded with an abundance of rain-water. On that day Hadrat 'Abbas was given the title 'Saqi al-Haramain' (Water-distributor of Mecca and Medina). Then, Rasulullah's poet Hassan ibn Thabit (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh) recited a poem in praise of Hadrat 'Abbas.

"Hadrat Imam Malik (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala), while conversing with Abu Jafar Mansur, the 'Abbasid Caliph, told him in Masjid an-Nabawi, 'Oh Mansur! We are in the Masjid as-Saada! Talk softly! Allahu ta'ala reprimanded some people in his declaration in Surat al-Hujurat, "Make not thy voice higher than My Messenger's!" And in the ayat al-karima, "Those who talk in a soft voice in the Prophet's presence..." He praised those who talk softly. Respecting Rasulullah after his death is like respecting him when he was alive.' Mansur, bowing his neck, said, 'Oh Aba 'Abd-Allah! Shall I face the qibla or the Qabr as-Saada?' Hadrat Imam Malik said, 'Do not turn your face away from Rasulullah! That exalted Prophet (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam), the intercessor on the Day of Judgement, will intercede for you and for your father Adam's ('alaihi's-salam) salvation on the Day of Judgement. You should ask for his intercession facing the Qabr as-Saada and attach yourself to Rasulullah's blessed soul. The 64th ayat of the Surat an-Nisa declared, "If they, after tyrannizing over their nafses, come to you and beg Allahu ta'ala's pardon, and if My Messenger prays for their forgiveness, they will certainly find Allahu ta'ala as the acceptor of tawba and merciful." This ayat premisses that the tawba of those who make an intercessor of Rasulullah will be accepted.' Thereupon, Mansur stood up and in front of the Hujrat as-Saada, 'Oh my Rabb!' he said, 'Thou promised that Thou wilt accept the tawba of those who make Thy Messenger an intercessor! And I supplicate Thee for forgiveness in Thine Exalted Prophet's high presence. Forgive me, too, as Thine servants whom Thou hast forgiven when they asked for forgiveness when he [the Prophet] was alive! Oh my Rabb! I beg Thee through Thine Exalted Prophet's intercession who is the Nabi ar-Rahma (Prophet of Blessings). Oh Muhammad, the Highest of Prophets! I begged my Rabb through thine intercession. Oh Rabb! Make that Exalted Prophet an intercessor for me!' While he prayed he stood in front of and faced the window of the Muwajahat as-Saada, the qibla being behind and the Minbar an-Nabawi on his left.

"NOTE: The advice given to the Khalifa Mansur by Hadrat Imam Malik (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) shows that those who pray in front of the Hujrat as-Saada should be very vigilant; it is not right for those who can not show the modesty and respect appropriate for that place to stay long in al-Madinat al-Munawwara. Hadrat al-Imam al-azam Abu Hanifa (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) said, 'It is better we be in Baghdad and our heart be here [in Medina] than we be here but our heart in Baghdad.'

"An Anatolian villager who had stayed and gotten married in al-Madinat al-munawwara and had been doing a certain service at the Hujrat as-Saada for years, one day caught a feverish illness and longed for an ayran (a cool drink made of yogurt and water). 'I would have an ayran made from yogurt and drink it if I were in my village,' he thought to himself. That night, Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) appeared in the Shaikh al-Haram Effendi's dream and ordered him to entrust that certain service done by the Anatolian villager to someone else. When he answered, 'Oh Rasul-Allah! So and so of your umma is in that service,' the Prophet ordered. 'Tell that person to go to his village and drink ayran!' in reply. The villager said, 'With pleasure!' and set out for his country when his order was communicated to him the next day.

"Hence, it should be realized that if a mere thought would cause such a loss, what great a loss will happen -may Allah forbid- because of an unsuitable word or an action unconformable to adab, even if it is a joke.

"Those who visit the Hujrat-Saada should be very alert and not have worldly thoughts in their hearts. They should think of Muhammad's ('alaihi 's-salam) nur and high status. Prayers of those who think of worldly affairs, of in gratiating themselves with people of high rank or of trade will not be accepted; they will not get their wishes.

"Visiting the Hujrat as-Saada is a very honorable 'ibada. It is feared that those who do not believe this may go out of Islam. As a matter of fact, they will have opposed Allahu ta'ala and His Rasul and all Muslims. Although a few Maliki scholars said that visiting Rasulullah was wajib, it was unanimously said to be mustahab."

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THE DEAD'S INTERCESSION

10 - The Wahhabite book says on page 208:

"Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyya said, 'There are numerous kinds of polytheism: It is polytheism to ask the dead for what one needs and for help, too. The dead cannot do any work. Since the dead cannot get what they need or redeem themselves from harm, they cannot help anybody else, either. It is also polytheism to ask the dead to intercede with Allah for oneself. The dead can intercede if Allah permits. One's entreating the dead cannot be a reason for Allah to give permission. Such a polytheist will have asked for intercession by a means which prevents permission.' "

In reality, what is forbidden is to ask for intercession from the things which are declared by Allahu ta'ala to be unable to intercede, namely idols, the things which are worshiped or considered as partners to Allahu ta'ala. Prophets ('alaihimu 's-salawatu wa 't-taslimat), awliya' and 'ulama' (rahimahum-Allahu ta'ala) were declared to be able to intercede. Entreating them to intercede shows one's belief in the Qur'an al-karim and Hadith ash-Sharif. It is true that intercession will be possible by Allahu ta'ala's permission; but the Qur'an al-karim and Hadith ash-Sharif show those whom He will permit. And whom He will permit will intercede for those whom they wish and with whom they are pleased. This is pointed out in His declaration in Surat al-Wadduha, "Your Rabb will give you whatever you wish till you say that you are pleased." Al-Imam al-azam Abu Hanifa (rahimahum-Allahu ta'ala) wrote in the fourteenth chapter of his book Fiqh-i akbar, "Prophets, 'ulama' and sulaha' will intercede for those who have grave sins and will redeem them from Hell." There is detailed information on this subject in the commentary Al-qawl al-fasl of Fiqh-i akbar.

Muslims implore awliya' not so that Allahu ta'ala shall give them permission but for their intercession when they are given permission. The Wahhabis deviate since they can not understand this subtlety, and they put the stamp of 'disbeliever' on millions of Muslims who ask for shafa'a (intercession). Their book, too, writes that Rasulullah declared that he will intercede for the believers, but not for polytheists. The Wahhabi himself has made up the allegation that it is polytheism to ask the dead for intercession. By saying that the Qur'an al-karim declares that polytheists will not be interceded for, he tries to misuse Allahu ta'ala's Book as a false-witness for himself.

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HAS AHMAD AL-BADAWI BEEN DEIFIED?

11 - On pages 216, 220 and 224, he quotes the ayat al-karima, "You cannot guide to the faith those whom you love, but Allahu ta'ala makes anyone He wishes attain the faith," which was descended for Abu Talib, the Prophet's uncle, and, after stating that Allahu ta'ala is the only one to convert the hearts from disbelief and sins to belief and obedience, he says:

"Those who say that great men of tasawwuf can penetrate and see into their disciples' hearts, know what is in their hearts and direct their hearts to wherever they wish are liars. And those who believe them are, in fact, disbelievers in Allah and prophets. Anything worshiped other than Allah is called 'wasan.' Graves or tombs, too, are wasans. For example, the greatest idol of Egyptians is Ahmad al-Badawi. Just as his name is not well-known, so there is no superiority, knowledge or 'ibada of him that is well-known. As-Sahawi reports from Ibn Hayyan that once he [Ahmad al-Badawi] entered and urinated in a mosque and went out without performing salat. People think of this man as capable of disposition in both worlds and of extinguishing conflagrations and saving ships in storms. They think of him to be a deity, a god, and say that he knew the secret, could hear from far away and make wishes fulfilled. They prostrate on the soil of his tomb. Likewise, people in Amman and Iraq worship 'Abd al-Qadir al-Geilani . Muhyiddin ibn al-'Arabi was the greatest disbeliever on the earth."

The superiors of tasawwuf recognize those for whom Allahu ta'ala has willed guidance and bliss and whom He has determined to save from torture. They will act as wasitas for their enlightenment. Meeting the awliya', knowing those distinguished, great men and imploring them are also by Allahu ta'ala's preordaining and favor. Allahu ta'ala endows bliss and intercession on those Muslims to whom He willed guidance in the eternal pasts, by giving them the lot of reading the books written by the scholars of Ahl as-Sunnat and great leaders of tasawwuf. And He makes those for whom He has wished heresy and perdition fall into the Wahhabi trap; by reading their misleading books and vile lies, they will be led into Hell. The Wahhabite book attacks Muslims with filthy slander about Allahu ta'ala's above-mentioned beloved 'ulama' and great awliya'. Even if there might be some vile words and actions incongruous with Islam among a few ignorant, heretical people who make their faith a means for worldly advantages, it does not justify his attempt to calumniate all Ahl as-Sunnat by pointing to such people; it is like blaming Prophet 'Isa ('alaihi 's-salam) because Christians worship him.

Ahmad al-Badawi (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) was one of the great awliya' and was the Khalifa to Shaikh Baree, who was one of the superiors of tasawwuf and the Khalifa to 'Ali ibn Nuaym al-Baghdadi, who was a great wali educated by Ahmad ar-Rifai (rahimahum-Allahu ta'ala), a possessor of karamat and a Sharif. Ahmad al-Badawi, who was a Sharif, too, passed away in Egypt in 675 A.H. Hundreds of thousands of Muslims have attained faid by visiting his tomb in Tanta every year, and nothing incongruous with Islam has happened during the visits. [Mir'at al-Madina, p.1049.] As to 'Abd al-Qadir al-Geilani and Muhyiddin ibn al-'Arabi (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala), their high status has been comprehended and explained in hundreds of books only by Islamic scholars who were talented like them. Al-Imam ar-Rabbani's (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) work Maktubat is full of eulogy and praise for these great walis. And great scholar 'Abd al-Ghani an-Nabulusi (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) wrote about their high honor in detail in Al-Hadiqa.

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THE BELOVED PROPHET & THE SAHABA

12 - The Wahhabite book writes on page 224:

"Ash-Sharani wrote that his shaikh 'Ali al-Khawwas did not separate from Rasulullah even for a moment. This is a lie. If it were true, the Prophet would have come and prevented the faction among as-Sahaba."

Anyone who has the least of wisdom and Islamic knowledge would not argue in such a way. Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) prophesied the fitna and separation that would take place among as-Sahabat al-kiram; how could it be thought that he would have come and prevented them? The companionship or union [of his shaikh and the Prophet] written by ash-Sharani (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) was in the sense of kashf and mushahada. It was not something material as it is misunderstood by those idiots who deny what they do not understand or know. The proverb, "Men feel enmity against what they do not know," is just fit for the case of the Wahhabis. Hadrat Abu Bakr (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh) used to say that he saw Rasulullah every moment and apologized saying, "I am ashamed of myself before you." [See the 32nd article below.]

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QASIDAT AL-BURDA

13 - On page 180, the Wahhabi quotes some lines from al-Imam al-Busiri's Qasidat al-Burda and comments:

"In these words, trust in someone other than Allah and greater esteem for a creature is suggested. And this is polytheism."

Allahu ta'ala praised Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam). And Rasulullah, mentioning the blessings bestowed upon him, praised himself, too. He praised himself so much that Hadrat al-Busiri's eulogy is not worth mentioning in comparison. Praising Rasulullah is an 'ibada. All the Sahabat al-kiram eulogized him; for example, Hassan ibn Thabit and Ka'b ibn Zubair's long eulogies have been well-known. Ka'b ibn Zubair praised the Prophet in his eulogy Banat-Su'ad more than al-Busiri did. Rasulullah, being pleased with it, forgave his faults and gave him his khirqa as a gift. That same khirqat as-saada is kept in the Topkapi Palace, in Istanbul, today. The Wahhabite book quotes the couplet, "Ya akram al-khalqi ma li man a'udhu bihee siwaka 'inda hululi hadithi 'l-amami," (Oh the Great Prophet who is the highest and most generous of creatures! I have no one but you to take refuge with at my last breath) from al-Busiri's qasida and says that asking Rasulullah for help is polytheism. And quoting the hadith as-Sharif reported by at-Tabarani, the Wahhabi writer says that it is polytheism to ask help (istighatha) of a creature. This hadith ash-Sharif was said upon the event that a hypocrite annoyed Muslims and Abu Bakr as-Siddiq said, "Let's go to Rasulullah and ask for his help, take refuge with him." The Prophet's reply was, "I am not to be asked for help; Allah is to be asked for help." The Wahhabi, putting this hadith ash-Sharif forward, is in a struggle to attack Ahl as-Sunnat. Whereas, this hadith ash-Sharif means, "Allahu ta'ala alone is the One who protects everyone from every harm, creates the protective means and gives the means the power and effect of protecting. If He does not wish so, He does not let one reach these means; in other words, the means would not have any influence even if they existed. Those who take refuge with me should know that this effect is not mine but Allah's." Did not Abu Bakr know this? Of course he did, but Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) explained Hadrat Abu Bakr's short statement so that Muslims, who would come until the Last Day, should not misunderstand it. Therefore, Muslims always know that effectiveness is from Allahu ta'ala. Imam Muhammad Mathum, in the 110th letter of the first volume of his Maktubat, wrote: "Allahu ta'ala hid His Power behind the means. As He declared that the only one who had power was Him, He ordered us to hold on to means. He made it known that the perfect Muslims should hold on to the means and trust in the Creator who gives the means the effective power. And He praised the Prophet Yaqub ('alaihi 's-salam) stating in the Qur'an al-karim that he both clung to the means and trusted in Allahu ta'ala. He declared, 'Yaqub knows what We revealed. But most of the human beings know not that taqdir prevails over precaution,' in the Surat Yusuf. In the tafsir book Tibyan, this ayat karima is explained as: 'Polytheists do not know with what Allah ta'ala has inspired His awliya'.' Those who believe the effect to be of the means but do not believe that they affect by Allahu ta'ala's Power are heretics. Anyone who wants to do away with the means, who does not recognize Allahu ta'ala's Divine Wisdom, believes, in fact, that Allahu ta'ala created creatures without any cause or for no use. This belief causes one to become lazy. The one who believes that Allahu ta'ala put effective power in the means reaches the right way and will be saved from both of these dangers." If the Wahhabis understood this subtlety, they would also understand the above hadith ash-Sharif correctly.

Imam Muhammad ibn Said al-Busiri (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala), who passed away in 695 A.H., was one of the superiors of tasawwuf. He was one of the awliya' educated by Abu 'l-'Abbas al-Mursi ash-Shadhili, who was Abul-Hasan ash-Shadhili's Khalifa. When he suffered a stroke and half of his body was paralyzed, he asked for Rasulullah's help and composed his famous qasida in praise of the Highest of Mankind, Muhammad ('alaihi 's-salam), to whom he chanted it in his dream. Rasulullah liked it and took off his khirqa, put it on the Imam and rubbed the paralyzed parts of his body with his blessed hand. When the Imam woke up, his body was restored to health, and the khirqat as-saada was still on him. That was why his eulogy was called "Qasidat al-Burda." 'Burda' means 'khirqa, overcoat.' Hadrat Imam ran in joy to the mosque for morning salat, and on the way met a person known for his righteousness and pious asceticism, who said:

"I would like to listen to your qasida."

"I have many qasidas. Everyone knows all of them," the Imam said.

"I want the one which no one knows and which you recited to Rasulullah last night."

"I haven't told anybody about it. How do you know it?"

Thereupon, that person told exactly what the Imam dreamt. Vizier Baha' ad-din heard about this qasida, had it recited through and listened to it standing respectfully. It has been seen that the sick got well and places became safe of malady and calamity when it was recited. In order to receive the value of it, it is necessary to believe and read it with a sincere resolve.

Qasidat al-Burda is composed of ten parts:

The first part expresses the value of the love for Rasulullah.

The second part explains the wickedness of man's nafs.

The third part praises Rasulullah.

The fourth part tells about Rasulullah's birth.

The fifth part explains that Rasulullah's prayers were accepted instantaneously.

The sixth part praises the Qur'an al-karim.

The seventh part explains the subtleties in the Miraj of Rasulullah.

The eighth part tells about Rasulullah's jihads.

In the ninth part, he asks Allahu ta'ala for mercy and maghfira and asks Rasulullah for intercession.

The tenth part tells about the superiority of the status of Rasulullah.

The Wahhabi writer praises the cruel people who martyred thousands of Muslims. On the one hand, he likens their cruel swords stained with innocent blood to the blessed swords of Muslim mujahids, and, on the other hand, likens eulogizing Allahu ta'ala's Great Prophet to idolaters praising their idols. He brands as 'polytheist' those who eulogize Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam). The stupid Wahhabi cannot understand that disbelievers praised their deified idols as creators, gods. Such a praise can be only for Allahu ta'ala. Muslims eulogize only Allahu ta'ala in that manner. We praise Rasulullah as the Highest of Creatures. And none of the scholars of Islam, who love Rasulullah and praise him very highly, has ever raised the Exalted Prophet to the degree of creator or god; they have not eulogized him as they praise Allahu ta'ala. The Wahhabis cannot distinguish between reality and falsehood. The Wahhabi has filled his book with ayats and hadiths about non-Muslims and, giving wrong meanings to them, attacks the scholars of Islam and calls great mutasawwifs and Muslims whom Allahu ta'ala loves "polytheists and disbelievers." Those who read the Wahhabite book, seeing the ayats and hadiths on every page, are being duped and, regarding those meanings to be correct, they are being drifted to perdition.

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SHALL TOMBS BE DEMOLISHED

14 - Beginning on page 239, he says:

"It was declared in the Hadith that the worst of men are those who will be alive on the Last Day and those who will make graves masjids. Graves were made masjids before Islam. Later in the Islamic history, Muslims, too, have been going further than the pre-Islamic communities. They forget Allahu ta'ala when they are in trouble. They idolize the dead. They believe the dead will do what is asked from them. They say that 'Abd al-Qadir al-Geilani hears and helps those who pray. They think he knows ghaib [what is hidden, the secret] though he is dead. Those who say so become disbelievers. They deny the Qur'an. Ibn al-Qayyim said that it was wajib to demolish the domes built over graves. Al-Imam an-Nawawi said that it was haram to build domes on graves for whatever intention there might be. Those who say that performing salat in the graveyard was prohibited because of its being dirty are wrong, for, prophets' graves are not dirty. Ibn Hajar al-Haitami wrote in his Kabair, 'It is a grave sin to build domes over graves. It is necessary for Muslim statesmen to demolish such domes. First of all al-Imam ash-Shafi'i's domed tomb should be demolished.' "

Here again the Wahhabite book slanders Muslims. Muslims perform 'ibada for and beg Allahu ta'ala five times everyday. It is an overt lie to say that such Muslims forget Allahu ta'ala. Muslims do not worship the dead. Because many hadiths explain that Allahu ta'ala's beloved servants -even every dead person- hears in their graves, Muslims visit their graves, pray to Allahu ta'ala through their mediation and ask them to intercede for them. The dead cannot do whatever they wish. And the living cannot do whatever they wish, either. But, Allahu ta'ala promised that He would accept the prayers of His beloved servants, first of all His prophets' prayers. Muslims do not ask prophets (alaihimu 's-salatu wa 's-salam) and awliya' (rahimahum-Allahu ta'ala) to do something, but to pray to Allahu ta'ala to give something. Awliya' do hear what the visitors to their graves ask, and they pray to Allahu ta'ala to give them what they ask for, and Allahu ta'ala accepts the prayers of awliya'.

The following passage is translated from the 121st page of Ibn Hajar al-Makki al-Haitami's (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) work Zawajir to expose the lies of the Wahhabite book. Ibn Hajar, after quoting hadiths, writes:

"Some Shafi'i scholars, taking the preceding hadiths into account, concluded that one of the six grave sins was to make graves masjids. The reason was that those who made prophets' graves masjids were condemned in a hadith, which also informed that those who made the graves of sulaha' masjids would be [regarded as] the worst of men on the Last Day. 'To make the graves masjids' means 'to perform salat facing those graves.' It was for this reason that the Shafi'i scholars declared that it was haram to perform salat facing the grave of a prophet or a wali, as a sign of respect for him. For such an act to be haram, firstly, the one in the grave should have been an uncommon, esteemed person, and secondly, the salat should be intended to be for the dead. Lighting candles at graves is also haram if it is for respecting the dead. So is going round graves. Hence it is inferred that such actions are makruh when they are done not as a sign of esteem. Respecting a grave by prostrating means worshiping it, which is a grave sin, even kufr. Some Hanbali scholars said, 'Performing salat by graves as a tribute is a grave sin and causes kufr. It is a must to demolish such tombs.' "

Ibn Hajar al-Makki al-Haitami (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala), in the Egypt edition of his book Al-fatawa al-kubra al-fiqhiyya, wrote in the chapter on janaza, "Domed tombs should not be built on graves in public graveyards where many corpses are buried. If already built, they should be demolished. It is not permissible to demolish the domed tombs in private graveyards for the purpose of burying a new corpse in them." On page 17, he wrote: "It is haram to build domed tombs in public graveyards. Those already built in public graveyards should be demolished. Constructing any kind of building in a graveyard belonging to a waqf or in a private graveyard without its owner's permission is also haram. It is makruh to build a domed tomb on one's own land or on someone else's land with his permission." On page 25, he wrote: "Building domed tombs in public graveyards is haram, for, it occupies much space and prevents others from being buried. Such domes should be demolished. It was for this reason that most Shafi'i scholars (rahimahum-Allahu ta'ala) issued the fatwa that al-Imam ash-Shafi'is (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) domed tomb should be demolished, because it was in a public graveyard." It is seen that Ibn Hajar al-Makki did not say that every domed tomb was haram and should be demolished.

On page 209 of the book Zawajir, it is written that it is a grave sin to build high buildings for ostentation. Following the hadith ash-Sharif the Wahhabis should be demolishing not tombs but, as a wajib, the houses of dissipation and prostitution they built in Riyad, Taif and Jidda. The Wahhabite book, on page 248, quotes the hadith ash-Sharif, "Visit graves! Such visits will remind you of the Day of Judgement," and says that Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) visited his blessed mother's grave. But, saying that this hadith ash-Sharif did not enjoin asking the dead for anything, he attempts to liken Muslims' visiting the graves of the Prophet and awliya' to disbelievers' worshiping graves.

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NOT VISIT THE PROPHETS SHRINE ?

15 - On page 259, the Wahhabi writes:

"It is forbidden for the one who enters Masjid an-Nabawi with a view to performing salat to go to the grave to greet Rasulullah. Imam Malik said that it was makruh to go to Qabr an-Nabi every time one enters the Masjid. The Sahabis and the Tabiin used to go to the Masjid, perform salat and go out. They would not go to the grave to greet, because, no such action was ordered in Islam. It is a lie that the souls of the dead could be seen in their living appearance. Such a vision happened only on the Miraj Night. Muslims who came later committed what as-Sahaba did not do. A few Sahabis would go to the grave solely to say salam only when they came back from far countries. 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar would go to the grave and greet whenever he came back from a journey. No one else did so. It is a lie that Ahmad ar-Rifai kissed Rasulullah's hand. It has been unanimously approved that one should turn towards the Kaba and not the grave when praying in front of the Hujrat as-Saada. It is prohibited by hadiths to come from distant countries for visiting the Hujrat as-Saada."

The following writing is translated from the book Mirat al-Madina:

"It has become wajib upon me to intercede for those who visit my shrine," is said in a hadith ash-Sharif conveyed by Ibn Huzaima, al-Bazzar, ad-Daraqutni and at-Tabarani (rahimahum-Allah). In another one reported by al-Bazzar, "It became halal for me to intercede for those who visit my shrine," is declared. The hadith ash-Sharif in the Sahih of Muslim and also quoted in Abu Bakr ibn al-Makkaree's (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) book Mu'jama says, "If someone visits me solely for visiting me and without any other intentions, he deserves my intercession for him on the Last Judgement." This hadith ash-Sharif foretold that Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) would intercede for those who go to al-Madinat al-Munawwara to visit him.

A hadith ash-Sharif reported by al-Imam at-Tabarani and ad-Daraqutni and other imams of hadith (rahimahum-Allahu ta'ala) says, "He who visits my grave after carrying out the hajj will be considered to have visited me during my lifetime." Ibn al-Jawzi (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala), too, reported this hadith ash-Sharif. Another one reported by ad-Daraqutni is: "The one who does not visit me after carrying out the hajj will hurt me." Imam Malik (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala), too, reported this hadith ash-Sharif. Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) requested that Muslims should visit him because he wanted his umma to gain thawab by this way, too. A hadith ash-Sharif reported by al-Imam al-Baihaki, says, "When a person greets me, Allahu ta'ala gives my soul back to my body. I reply to his greeting." Based on this hadith ash-Sharif, al-Imam al-Baihaki said, "Prophets are alive in their graves." The Prophet's blessed soul being given back means that from his high position he answers the one who greets him.

There are so many hadiths stating that the prophets ('alaihimu's-salawatu wa 't-taslimat) are alive in their graves that they affirm one another. One of them is the hadith ash-Sharif, "I will hear the salawat recited at my shrine. I will be informed about the salawat recited at a distance," which was reported by Abu Bakr ibn Abi Shaiba and quoted in the books of the six well-known great imams of hadith.

In the hadith ash-Sharif reported by Ibn Abi 'd-dunya on the authority of 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anhuma), it is said, "If anyone visits the grave of an acquaintance of his and greets him, the dead one recognizes him and replies. If he greets a dead Muslim whom he did not know, the dead will become happy and answer him."

As to how Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) can separately reply to everyone who sends salam to him at the same moment, it is like the sun illuminating thousands of cities simultaneously.

As it is understood that Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) knows and answers when one greets him, could there be another honor and bliss greater than this for a Muslim?

Hadrat Ibrahim ibn Bishar said, "I went to Medina to visit the Qabr as-Saada after a pilgrimage. I greeted in front of the Hujrat as-Saada and heard the reply 'Wa 'alaika 's-salam.' "

The poet Nabi said:

Beware of immodesty! Here where Allah's Beloved is!
To where the Divine look is directed; Maqam al-Mustafa this is!

Only if you resolve to act modestly, Nabi, go in this shrine,
There where angels go round, and whereat prophets always kiss!

A hadith ash-Sharif says, "After my death, I will hear as I do when I am alive." Another hadith ash-Sharif says, "Prophets are alive in their graves. They perform salat." These hadiths show that our Prophet (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) is alive in his shrine with a life we do not know. It is written in very reliable books that Sayyid Ahmad ar-Rifai, [He passed away in Basra in 578 A.H. (1183 A.D.). His shrine and mosque were repaired and ornamented by the Ottoman Sultan Abdulhamid Khan II.] one of the prominent awliya', and many other awliya' (rahimahum-Allahu ta'ala) heard the reply when they greeted Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) and that Ahmad ar-Rifai attained the honor of kissing Rasulullah's blessed hand. Saying that these are lies is like throwing mud at the sun. The great Islamic scholar Jalal ad-din 'Abd ar-Rahman as-Suyuti (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala), who passed away in Egypt in 911/1595, refuted them in his well-documented book Sharaf al-Muhkam and proved that Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) was alive in his grave and heard those who greeted him. One of the hadiths he quoted in his book is: "I saw the Prophet Musa (Moses) performing salat in his grave on the Miraj Night." Abu Nuaym (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala), the author of Hilya, too, quoted this hadith ash-Sharif.

A hadith ash-Sharif, quoted in Abu Yala's (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) Musnad, says, "Prophets live and pray in their graves."

Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam), during his last illness, said, "I have always felt the bitter taste of the food I ate at Khaibar. The poison I ate that day tears my aorta now." This hadith ash-Sharif indicates that Rasulullah died as a martyr. Allahu ta'ala declared in the 169th ayat karima of Surat al 'Imran, "Never regard those who have been martyred on the way of Allah as dead! They are alive!" So, it is obvious that our master Rasulullah is alive in his grave like all martyrs.

Al-Imam as-Suyuti wrote: "Awliya' (rahimahum-Allahu ta'ala) of high status can see the prophets ('alaihumu 's-salawatu wa 't-taslimat) as if they had not died. Our Master's seeing Musa ('alaihi 's-salam) alive in his grave was a mujiza, and a wali's seeing in the same way is a karama. Disbelief in karama arises from ignorance."

A hadith ash-Sharif reported by Ibn Habban, Ibn Maja and Abu Dawud (rahimahum-Allahu ta'ala) says, "On Fridays recite the salawat for me repeatedly! The salawat will be conveyed to me." When it was asked whether it would be conveyed to him after his death, too, the Prophet (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) answered, "Soil does not rot prophets' bodies. Whenever a Muslim says the salawat for me, an angel informs me of it and says, 'So-and-so's son, so-and-so of your umma sent his salam and prayed for you.' " This hadith ash-Sharif shows that our Prophet is alive in his shrine in a life which a man of this world cannot understand. Hadrat Zaid ibn Sahl (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh) said, "One day, I was enjoying Rasulullah's company. His blessed face was cheerful. I asked why he smiled. 'Why should I not be happy? Jabrail gave me good news just a moment ago: Allahu ta'ala has declared that whenever my umma recite a salawat for me once, Allahu ta'ala will send a salawat ten times in reply to them,' he answered."

Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) is a great favor for the whole Umma after his death, as he was Allahu ta'ala's compassion for his companions in his life. He is the cause of goodness.

Mahal ibn 'Amr said, "One day, I sat with Said ibn Musayyab (rahimahum-Allahu ta'ala) by our mother Umm Salama's (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anha) room. Many people came to visit the Hujrat as-Saada. Said, being astonished at the people, said, 'How stupid they are! They think Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) is in the grave. Do prophets ever stay in their graves longer than forty days?' " Nevertheless, Said [Said ibn Musayyab was one of the seven famous 'ulama' in Medina. He passed away in Medina in 91 A.H. (710 A.D.).] himself had said he had heard the adhan called in Rasulullah's grave on the day the disaster called Harra happened. Hadrat 'Uthman (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh), when his house was blockaded, said, "I will not go anywhere! I cannot leave Medina and Rasulullah." If the words which Mahal ibn 'Amr reported from Said were true, Rasulullah would not have called Muslims to visit his grave. As a matter of fact, Bilal al-Habashi (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh) went to Medina and visited Rasulullah's shrine on the order he received from Rasulullah in his dream after the conquest of Jerusalem. Hadrat 'Umar ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh), Khalifa of the Muslims, used to send salat and salam from Damascus to Medina with special officials. Hadrat 'Umar (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh), when he returned to al-Madinat al-Munawwara after conquering Jerusalem, first went to the Hujrat as-Saada, visited Rasulullah and conveyed salat and salam onto him.

Yazid ibn al-Mahree said, "I visited 'Umar ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh), the Governor of Egypt, on my way from Damascus to Medina. He said to me, 'Oh Yazid! Please convey my salat and salam to Rasulullah when you have the bliss of visiting him!' "

Imam Nafi' (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) [Nafi was one of the prominent among the Tabi'un and formerly a slave freed by Abdullah ibn Umar. He passed away in Medina in 120 A.H. (737 A.D.).] reported that 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anhuma), whenever he came back from an expedition or war, would visit the Hujrat as-Saada, first Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam), then Hadrat Abu Bakr and then his father Hadrat 'Umar (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anhuma), greeting each of them. Though the Wahhabite book Fat'h al-majid confirms this, too, it writes that visiting the Prophet's grave was not allowed in Islam and that no one but 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar visited him. However, it is written in valuable books that most of the Sahabis (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anhum ajmain) did visit him. It is a filthy slander that 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar committed an act not permitted by Islam. The Wahhabi author praises the as-Sahabat al-kiram highly when it suits his interests, but he shamelessly commits such filthy slanders when it does not suit him. If it had not been permitted to visit the Prophet's shrine and to say salat and salam, 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar would not have done so, or the Sahabis who saw him would have told him that it was prohibited. His behavior and the silence of those who saw him show that it is permitted and meritorious. Imam Nafi' said, "I have seen more than a hundred times 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar say, 'As-salama 'alaika ya Rasul-Allah!' 'As-salamu 'alaika ya Aba Bakr!' and 'As-salamu 'alaika ya Abi (father)!' during his visits to Rasulullah's shrine."

One day, Hadrat 'Ali (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh) entered Masjid ash-Sharif and wept long in front of Fatima's (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anha) room. Then he entered the Hujrat as-Saada and said, "As-salamu 'alaika ya Rasul-Allah." And he wept again. Then, saying, " 'Alaikuma 's-salam ya akhawayya wa rahmat-Allah," he greeted Hadrat Abu Bakr and Hadrat 'Umar and went out.

It was for this reason that our scholars of fiqh (rahimahum-Allahu ta'ala) came to Medina and performed salat in Masjid ash-Sharif after pilgrimage. Then they visited and received blessings by seeing the Rawdat al-Mutahhara, the Minbar al-Munir and the Qabr ash-Sharif, which is superior to the 'Arsh al-ala; the places where the Prophet sat, walked and leaned; the pole he leaned against when the wahi came and the places where as-Sahabat al-kiram and the Tabiin (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anhum ajmain), who worked when the Masjid was being built and repaired or who had the honor of giving financial help, walked. Those scholars and sulaha' who came later would come to Medina after hajj and do as our 'ulama' of fiqh did. It is for this reason that pilgrims have been visiting al-Madinat al-Munawwara.

The 'ulama' have given different answers to the question whether one [a pilgrim] should first go to Medina or visit the Prophet's shrine after hajj. 'Alqama, Aswad and 'Amr ibn Maimun, three superiors among the Tabiin (rahimahum-Allahu ta'ala) said that one should first go to Medina. Al-Imam al-Azam Abu Hanifa (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala), the sun of Islamic scholars, said that it would be better to perform hajj and then leave Mecca for Medina. So it was written in the fatwa of Abu 'l-Laith Nasr as-Samarqandee (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala), who passed away in 373/985.

During the sultanate of 'AbdulHamid Khan II, it became a custom among [the Ottoman] pilgrims to stay in Medina between the two 'Iyds and to leave Medina for Mecca when the time for hajj came. Some pilgrims would go direct to Mecca and, after 'Arafat, come to Medina to perform the visitation. Then they would go to Yanbu, the port of Madina, where they would take a steam-ship on the way back to their countries passing through the Suez Canal.

Qadi 'Iyad, author of Shifa' ash-Sharif who passed away in Marrakush in 544/1150 and Shafi'i scholar Imam Yahya an-Nawawi, who passed away in Damascus in 676/1277, and Hanafi scholar Ibn Hammam (Humam) Muhammad al-Siwasi, who passed away in 861/1456, (rahimahum Allahu ta'ala) said that there had been ijma' al-umma on the fact that visiting Rasulullah's (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) blessed shrine was very meritorious. Some scholars said that it was wajib. It is a sunnat to visit graves. Visiting the most valuable grave, the Hujrat as-Saada, is the most valuable sunnat.

Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) used to visit the Baqi' cemetery and the martyrs in Uhud. 'Abd al-Haqq ad-Dahlawi (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala), who was one of the great 'ulama' in India that passed away in 1052 A.H. (1642), while narrating the Battle of Uhud in his Persian book Madarij an-Nubuwwa, quotes Abu Farda (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh) as saying, "One day Rasulullah visited the martyrs in Uhud. After saying, 'Oh my Rabb who is worth being worshiped! I, Thy servant and Messenger, testify that these got martyred to gain Thy Consent,' he turned to us and said, 'If someone visits and greets these martyrs, they will answer him. They will answer the same way till the Last Day.' " Again, while visiting the martyrs Rasulullah said, "You were patient. Salam be on you!" Hadrat Abu Bakr and Hadrat 'Umar (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anhuma), when they were Khalifas, used to visit the martyrs in Uhud and addressed them similarly. Fatimat al-Huzaziyya (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) said, "I was passing by the Uhud field. I said, 'Oh Hamza (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh), Rasulullah's uncle, salam be on you!' Then I heard the answer, 'May Allah's salam, mercy and blessings be upon you!' " Utaf ibn Khalid al-Mahzuni said that his aunt greeted the martyrs in Uhud and that they replied to her, "We know you!"

The sixty-third ayat karima of Surat an-Nisa', "If they, after tyrannizing over their nafses, come to you and beg Allahu ta'ala's pardon, and if My Messenger prays for their forgiveness, they will certainly find Allahu ta'ala as the acceptor of tawba and merciful," is a command for both men and women to visit the shrine of the Prophet. It was said that it was mustahab to read this ayat while visiting the shrine.

Imam 'Ali (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh) quoted Muhammad ibn Harb al-Hilali (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh) as saying, "I visited the Hujrat as-Saada three days after Rasulullah's (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) burial. After the visit I sat in a corner. A villager came and threw himself on the Prophet's grave. He took soil from the grave and sprinkled it on his face. He said, 'Ya Rasul-Allah! Allahu ta'ala declared about you in the ayat [above, which he recited]. I have oppressed my nafs. I seek absolute forgiveness through your intercession.' I heard a voice from the grave: 'good news to you! Your sins are forgiven'."

Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) came to Uhud from Medina to visit the martyrs in Uhud. Therefore, it is an 'ibada to go to al-Madinat al-Munawwara to visit the Prophet's shrine. The 'ulama' of Islam (rahimahum-Allahu ta'ala) have unanimously stated that it is a very meritorious deed.

The hadith ash-Sharif, "Only three masjids [The masjid al-Haram in Mecca, the Masjid an-Nabawi in Medina and the Masjid al-Aqsa in Quds (Jerusalem).] are to be gone to for visiting," shows that it is very meritorious to go to al-Madinat al-Munawwara with a view to visiting the Qabr as-Saada. Those who do not do so will remain deprived of its great thawab, and perhaps they will have neglected a wajib. Going on long journeys to visit masjids other than these three is permitted if it is for Allah's sake. But it is haram in case of other intentions.

Question: "Imam Hasan ibn 'Ali (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh) did not permit visitors to approach the Qabr as-Saada. And Imam Zain al-'Abidin (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala), saying that Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) declared, 'Do not make a [place of] festival of my shrine! Do not make cemeteries of your houses! Recite salawat on me wherever you are; your salam will be conveyed to me,' did not permit approaching the Qabr as-Saada. What would you say about that?"

Answer: These statements are not congruous with the hadith ash-Sharif, "Only three masjids are to be gone to for visiting." Further, the two imams probably wanted to prevent only those who would behave disrespectfully. [Therefore,] Imam Malik (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) did not even permit staying a long time near the Qabr as-Saada. Imam Zain al-'Abidin (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala), in his visitations to the Hujrat as-Saada, would stand by the pillar in the direction of the Rawdat al-Mutahhara and greet. So, it was understood that Rasulullah's (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) blessed head was on that side of the Hujra. That was the place to stand by during visits before the rooms of Rasulullah's blessed wives (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anhunna) were annexed into the Masjid as-Saada. The visitors stand in front of the door of the Hujrat as-Saada and greet.

Harun ibn Musa al-Hirawi asked his grandfather 'Alqama: "On which side of the Qabr as-Saada had the visitors stood before the rooms of our Prophet's wives (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anhunna) were annexed into Masjid as-Saada?" His grandfather said, "Because the door of the Hujrat as-Saada had not been walled up before Hadrat 'Aisha died, they used to stand in front of the door."

Hafiz 'Abd al-'Azim al-Munziri (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala), a scholar of hadith who passed away in Egypt in 656 A.H. (1257), said, "The hadith ash-Sharif, 'Do not make my shrine a [a place of] festival,' means 'Do visit me as frequently as you can,' that is, 'Do not restrict your visiting my grave to one or two times a year! Do visit me at every occasion!' And the hadith ash-Sharif, 'Do not turn your houses into cemeteries!' means 'Do not make your houses look like cemeteries by not performing salat in them.' " Since it is not permitted to perform salat in a cemetery, 'Abd al-'Azim al-Munziri's words are right. Most of the 'ulama' explained the former hadith as: "For visiting the Qabr as-Saada, do not fix a certain day like a feast." Jews and Christians used to assemble together, play instruments and dance when they visited the graves of their prophets.

Therefore, visitors to the Qabr as-Saada should not stay long but leave soon after greeting and praying. Muslims should deem visiting the Qabr as-Saada a very meritorious 'ibada. They should go to al-Madinat al-Munawwara however far they may be and try to visit frequently. That is, one should not restrict it to once a year, but, whenever one can afford, one should go and visit without staying long in front of the Hujrat as-Saada.

Abu Hanifa (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala), the sun of the 'ulama' of Islam, said that visiting the Qabr as-Saada, one of the most valuable of mustahabs, was an 'ibada of a degree nearly equal to wajib.

In the Shafi'i madhhab, one who vows to visit the Qabr as-Saada has to fulfill his vow. As for the one who vows to visit another grave, there is no unanimity that he should fulfilled his vow, but he had better fulfill it.

It is necessary for the one who vows to visit the Masjid al-Haram on foot to fulfill his vow, because the Farida (obligatory acts) of hajj are performed in Masjid al-Haram. And since Masjid as-Saada contains the Qabr as-Saada which is more estimable than both the Kabat al-Muazzama [in the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca] and Masjid al-Aqsa [in Jerusalem], a vow to go to that blessed masjid on foot, because it will include the intention to visit the Qabr as-Saada, should certainly be fulfilled.

A vow to visit the Kabat al-Muazzama should be fulfilled according to all the four madhhabs. There is no unanimity as to whether a vow to visit Masjid as-Saada or Masjid al-Aqsa should be fulfilled. However, the disagreement is about visiting the masjid itself; the one who vows to visit the Qabr as-Saada has to fulfill his vow.

'Abdullah Abu Muhammad ibn Abu Zaid (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) was asked: "If someone, who is sent as a deputy to carry out the hajj and ordered to visit the Qabr as-Saada, only carries out the hajj and returns without visiting, is it necessary for him to return the money given to him to spend during the visit to the Qabr as-Saada?" Hadrat Ibn Zaid, one of the prominent among the Maliki scholars who passed away in 389 A.H. (999), said, "He has to give it back."

Imam Malik (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) said concerning visiting the Qabr as-Saada, "In Masjid ash-Sharif, one should turn his back towards the qibla [Kaba] and face the Hujrat as-Saada, greet modestly and respectfully and recite the salawat. Two rak'as of salat [tahiyyat al-masjid] should be performed in the Rawdat al-Mutahhara after entering the masjid. Then, standing in front of the Muwajahat as-Saada, first Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam), then Hadrat Abu Bakr and Hadrat 'Umar (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anhuma) should be greeted, and then some certain prayers should be said, because Rasulullah, or any believer, hears his visitors, their salams and prayers. Though it is permitted to pray as one wishes and to say whatever prayers one remembers, it is better to say the certain prayers recommended by the 'ulama.' "

Al-Imam al-azam Abu Hanifa (rahmat-Alahi ta'ala 'alaih) said that, when he was in Medina, he saw that Ayyub as-Sahtiyani (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala), one among the sulaha' who passed away in Basra in 131 A.H. (748), came and entered the masjid, stood facing the Qabr as-Saada, and, the qibla behind him, wept.

Abu 'l-Laith as-Samarqandee (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala), giving reference to al-Imam al-Azam Abu Hanifa, said, "Visitors should face the qibla, leaving the Hujrat as-Saada behind." However, Shaikh Kamal ad-din ibn Hammam (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) wrote, "Al-Imam al- Azam Abu Hanifa described the ritual of the visit in his Musnad, so, what Abu 'l-Laith and his followers reported was based on a former ijtihad of al-Imam al-Azam, who later declared that one should face the Hujrat as-Saada. 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar (radi-Allahu ta'ala anhuma), too, said that one should pay salam by facing the Hujrat as-Saada with the qibla being behind." Muhammad Ibn Jamaat (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala), a Shafi'i scholar who passed away in Damascus in 733 A.H. (1333), wrote in his book Manasik, "While visiting the Prophet's shrine, one should stand about two meters from the corner corresponding to Rasulullah's blessed head, this corner being on one's left and the qibla on one's right-hand side, and then turn slowly around until one faces the window of the Muwajahat as-Saada, leaving the qibla wall behind. Just when one faces the Qabr as-Saada one should say the salam.

Hence, the visitor should stand between the Rawdat al-Mutahhara corner of the Hujrat as-Saada and the qibla wall, Rasulullah's blessed head being on his left two meters from him, then slowly turn to face the Hujrat as-Saada, leaving the qibla behind. Then he should say salat and salam and pray. And so were al-Imam ash-Shafi'is and other imams' ijtihads, and today the visit is carried out in this manner.

On the qibla side of the Hujrat as-Saada, there was not much empty space before the rooms of Rasulullah's blessed wives (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anhunna) were annexed to the Masjid as-Saada; so it was very difficult to stand facing the Muwajahat as-Saada. Visitors would stand facing the qibla and greet in front of the door in the Rawdat al-Mutahhara wall of the Hujrat as-Saada. Later, Imam Zain al-'Abidin would greet, with the Rawdat al-Mutahhara being behind. After the annexation of the rooms of the blessed wives to the masjid, the Hujrat as-Saada was visited standing in front of the window of the Muwajahat ash-Sharifa.

The imams of Islam collected the many rules of observances and conditions for those who live in Medina and for visitors. These conditions and rules were codified in fiqh and manasik books. All were compiled clearly and in detail in Takmilat al-manasik by Ayyub Sabri Pasha (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala), the author of Mirat al-Haramain.

The first tomb built in the history of Islam was the Hujrat al-Mu'attara, where Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) was buried. Our master Rasulullah passed away in the room belonging to his beloved wife, our mother 'Aisha (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anha), before noon on Monday, the twelfth of Rabi' al-awwal 11 A.H. On Wednesday night he was buried in that room.

Hadrat 'Aisha's (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anha) room was three meters high and was built with adobes and date-palm branches. It had two doors, one on the west, which faced the Rawdat al-Mutahhara, and the other on the north. Hadrat 'Umar (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh), while he extended Masjid as-Saada in 17 A.H. during his caliphate, surrounded the Hujrat as-Saada with a low stone wall.' Abdullah ibn Zubair (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh), when he became the Caliph, rebuilt this wall with black stones. He was martyred in 73 A.H. (692). This wall was not roofed and there was a door on the northern side. When Hadrat Hasan (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh) passed away in 49 A.H., his brother Hadrat Husain (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh) took his corpse to the door of the Hujrat as-Saada as requested in his brother's will and wanted to take the corpse into the shrine to pray and ask for intercession. Some people opposed it, thinking that the corpse would be buried in the shrine. To prevent the clamor, the corpse was not taken into the shrine and was buried at the Baqi' cemetery. Lest such events might happen again later, the doors of the room and the one outside were walled up.

The sixth Umayyad Caliph Walid (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala), when he was the governor of Medina, raised the wall around the room and had a small dome built over it. The three graves became invisible from the outside, and the room was secured from being entered. After he became the Caliph, he ordered 'Umar ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala), his successor as the governor of Medina and later the eighth Caliph, to build a second wall around it when the rooms of the Pure Wives (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anhunna) were removed and Masjid as-Saada was enlarged in 88 A.H. (707). This wall was pentagonal and roofed and had no doors.

Jamal ad-din al-Isfahani (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala), vizier of the Atabeg State governed by Zengees in Iraq and the first cousin of Salah ad-din al-Ayyubi, constructed a grating made of sandal-and-ebony wood around the outer wall of the Hujrat as-Saada in 584 A.H. (1189). The grating was as high as the ceiling of the masjid. It burned away in the first fire. Iron grating was constructed and painted green in 688. This grating was called the Shabakat as-Saada (Blessed Lattice). The qibla, east, west and north sides of the Shabakat as-Saada are called the Muwajahat as-Saada, Qadam as-Saada, Rawdat al-Mutahhara and Hujrat al-Fatima, respectively. As al-Makkat al-Mukarrama is to the south of al-Madinat al-Munawwara, one who stands facing the qibla in the middle of Masjid an-Nabi, that is, at the Rawdat al-Mutahhara, has the Hujrat as-Saada on his left and the Minbar ash-Sharif on his right.

Marble flooring was laid on the ground between the Shabakat as-Saada and the outer walls and on the outer area in 232 A.H. (847), and it has been renewed many times. The last restoration of the floor was done on the order of the Ottoman Sultan 'Abd al-Majid Khan.

The small dome, which was constructed with the pentagonal wall, is called the Qubbat an-Nur. The Kiswat ash-Sharifa sent by the Ottoman Sultans (rahimahum-Allahu ta'ala) was laid on that dome as a cover. The big, green dome which is over the Qubbat an-Nur and which is called the Qubbat al-Khadra is the dome of Masjid as-Saada. The kiswa on the outer side of the grating, the shabaka, used to be hung to the arches supporting the Qubbat al-Khadra. These internal and external curtains were called the Sattara. The Shabakat as-Saada has three doors, one in each of the east, west and north sides. Nobody except the directors of the Haram ash-Sharif may enter the Shabakat as-Saada, and no one can enter inside the walls since there is neither a door nor a window. There is only a small hole covered with wire gauze on top of the dome. Just above this hole is the hole in the Qubbat al-Khadra. The dome of Masjid ash-Sharif was gray until 1253 A.H. (1837), when it was painted green by order of Sultan Mahmud 'Adli Khan. It was painted again by order of Sultan 'Abd al-Aziz Zhan in 1289 A.H. (1872).

No one has spent as much money and effort as Sultan 'Abd al-Majid Khan (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) did to repair and embellish Masjid as-Saada. He spent seven hundred thousand gold coins to restore the Haramain. The restoration was completed in 1277 A.H. (1861). Everyday he did a service for Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) and in this connection his kashfs and karamas were witnessed. Sultan 'Abd al-Majid Khan ordered that a model of the early form of Masjid an-Nabawi be made and put in the Khirka-i Sharif Mosque, in Istanbul, so Major Haji 'Izzet Effendi (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala), a professor at the Engineering school and a designer, was sent to Medina in 1267. 'Izzet Effendi measured every dimension and constructed a 1/53 model and sent it to Istanbul. The model was placed in the Khirka-i Sharif Mosque, which was built by 'Abd al-Majid Khan.

After 'Abd al-Majid Khan's repair works, the distance between the qibla wall and the Shabakat as-Saada became seven and a half meters; from the eastern wall to the grating of the Qadam as-Saada became six meters; the width of the Shabakat ash-Shami became eleven meters; the Muwajahat ash-Sharifa grating became thirteen meters long, and the distance between the Muwajahat ash-Sharifa and the Shabakat ash-Shami became nineteen meters. The width of Masjid an-Nabawi on the qibla side is seventy-seven meters and its length from the qibla wall to the Damascene wall is 117 meters. The Rawdat al-Mutahhara, which lies between the Hujrat as-Saada and the Minbar ash-Sharif, is nineteen meters wide. These lengths are calculated on the basis that one dhra' of Medina is fourty-two centimeters. The dhra' shar'i mentioned in fiqh books is forty-eight centimeters.

To conceal the great services done to the Haramain ash-Sharifain and to destroy the magnificently ornamented, invaluable works by the Ottomans, a new work of repair and extention of Masjid an-Nabawi was ordered by 'Abd al-'Aziz of the Sa'udi lineage in 1368 A.H. (1949), which was started in 1370 and finished in 1375. The total area increased from 9000 to 11648 square meters. The length of each of the eastern and western walls became 128 meters while that of the northern wall became 91 meters. There are 232 columns under the vaults. The height of the two new minarets is 70 meters each. Masjid al-Haram in Mecca was enlarged in 1375 (1955) from 29177 to 160168 square meters. It has 7 minarets each 90 meters high. The hills as-Safa and al-Marwa were covered with roofs and joined to Masjid al-Haram. The names of many places were changed to new ones.

'Uthman ibn Maz'un (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh) was the first who was buried in the Baqi' cemetery, the only cemetery in Medina. Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) erected a big gravestone with his blessed hands at the grave of this foster brother of his. Hence, it became a sunnat to erect grave-stones.

The la-madhhabi destroyed the tombs in Medina. Sultan Mahmud Khan (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) restored them all. After the First World War, the British took Medina from the Ottomans and gave the city to 'Abd al-'Aziz, who ruined all the tombs. They destroyed the sacred buildings, even the artistically magnificent building built over the Well of Zemzem by 'Abd al-Hamid Khan I (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala). They destroyed even the blessed house where Rasulullah honored this world with his birth. They built shops on its ground.

The first domed tomb after the Hujrat as-Saada was the dome built over the graves of Rasulullah's blessed wives in the Baqi' cemetery. On the day our mother Zainab bint Jahsh (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anha) died, the weather was so hot that Hadrat 'Umar (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh) set up a tent to shelter the people from the hot sun while the grave was being dug. The tent was left over the grave for a longtime. Thenceforth tents or huts were set up, and later domes were built over graves. The first coffin was made again for our mother Zainab; when Hadrat 'Umar did not permit the Sahabis except her mahram relatives [whom she could not have married by law] to attend the funeral, the Sahabis felt sorry at the prospect of not being able to attend the funeral, and Asma' bint 'Umais said, "I saw a coffin in Ethiopia. It prevents the corpse from being seen." Then a coffin was made as described by Asma' bint 'Umais, and all the Sahabis attended the burial.

Our master Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) used to visit the martyrs (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anhum) in Uhud every year. He would greet the martyrs standing at a place called Hurrat al-Waqum. He greeted each one separately when he visited them in the eighth year of the Hegira. "They are martyrs. They know who visits them. They hear when they are greeted and they reply," he said. Hadrat Fatima az-Zahra' (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anha) used to visit Hadrat Hamza's (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh) grave every two days and would put a mark so that the grave should not be forgotten. She would go there every night before Fridays to perform salat of many rak'as and would weep much.

Al-Imam al-Baihaki (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) quoted 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anhuma) as having said, "My father Hadrat 'Umar and I visited the martyrs on a Friday before sunrise. My father greeted all of them. We heard their reply. My father asked me, 'Did you answer me?' 'No, the martyrs did,' I said. He took me on his right and said salam to each of them separately. We heard each of them reply three times. Father immediately prostrated and thanked Allahu ta'ala." Hadrat Hamza, his nephew 'Abdullah ibn Jahsh and Mus'ab ibn 'Umair (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anhum ajmain) were buried in the same grave. The remaining seventy martyrs were buried together by twos or threes in one grave, and a few are in the Baqi' cemetery. [The names of all these martyrs are written in Mir'at al-Madina, from which the foregoing long passage is translated.]

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THE SALAWAT

16 - He writes on page 257:

"A hadith reported by Abu Dawud says that we should say salawat on the Prophet and that he will be informed from wherever we say it. So, it does not make any difference to say it from near or afar. The grave should not be turned into a place of celebration."

In order to show that there is no need to visit the Hujrat as-Saada, he writes that Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) hears the salawat said for him, but he contradicts himself. He said before that the dead would not feel or hear, but here he writes that they can hear.

On page 416 he writes:

"The dead will not hear what is said to them. To ask them for prayers and intercession means to worship them."

His writing that Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) hears the salawat said for him and his latter words quoted above are contradictory. Furthermore, he quotes only one of the two hadiths from Abu Dawud. It does not suit his purpose to write the other one. Hadith scholar 'Abd al-Haqq ad-Dahlawi (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala), on page 378 of his book Madarij an-Nubuwwa, wrote: "A hadith ash-Sharif reported by Abu Dawud from Abu Huraira (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anhuma) declares, 'When a person greets me, Allahu ta'ala gives my soul back to my body. I hear his greeting and reply to him.' And the hadith ash-Sharif narrated by Ibn 'Asakir (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) declares, 'I will hear the salawat recited at my shrine.' "

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AWLIYA DO HELP

17 - On the 271st and the following pages, he says:

"It was declared, 'I am afraid that heretical imams will come upon my umma.' That is, leaders and imams who will mislead Muslims will come and issue fatwas disagreeing with the Book. Most of such people say, 'He who is in trouble or who has a request shall come to my grave: I shall fulfill his wish. I am very close to Allah. I have been exempted from worshiping. Awliya' help whomever they want. One shall ask his requests from them. Those who are in trouble will attain prosperity if they hold on to the dead or living awliya', who can do whatever they wish. They display karamat. They know what is in the Lawh al-mahfuz. They apprehend the secret thoughts of men.' And such people build domes over the graves of prophets and awliya'. All these mean to worship something other than Allah. A hadith says, 'Munafiqs deceive by telling the truth.' Another hadith says, 'The Last Day will not come till most of my umma become idolaters.' What can those who worship graves and attribute them as partners to Allah say to this? The fitna of worshiping idols has increased so much these days that no one notices it. Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab stood up and prevented this idolatry. Although some governments tried to oppose him, his name became famous everywhere. There were many who believed him, as there were many who did not believe. Abu Tahir says, 'The Sa'udi Dynasty conveyed Ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab's flag of monotheism to every corner of Arabia.' It is necessary to prevent polytheism from dissemination and to annihilate it. Domes built over graves are of this kind. All of them have become idol-houses. None of them should be left on earth. Most of them are treated like the idols al-Lat and al-'Uzza. Most Muslims have become polytheists. 'Thirty dajjals will appear amongst my umma,' is a well-known hadith. Sayyid Siddiq Hasan Khan wrote in his Kitab al-izagha that the wicked European Ghulam Ahmad al-Qadiani was one of the dajjals. This Indian disbeliever first said that he was al-Mahdi, but later, backed by a Christian government, he declared he was a prophet. Mukhtar as-Saqafi, too, was one of the dajjals, who lived during 'Abdullah ibn Zubair's caliphate. He said he loved Ahl al-Bait and would revenge Hadrat Husain's murder. He killed many Muslims. Later he claimed that he was a prophet and that Jabrail brought revelations to him."

The writer of this passage reports that heretical and irreligious governments and men of religious position will preside over Muslims. The scholars of Islam (rahimahum-Allahu ta'ala) have unanimously decided that heretical men of religious position would mislead Muslims from the right path. The la-madhhabi places spies in Muslim countries and deceives Muslims through these mercenary la-madhhabi spies. Publishing corrupt books, they strive to destroy Ahl as-Sunnat and defame the great 'ulama' and awliya of Ahl as-Sunnat.

Al-Imam ar-Rabbani (qaddas-Allahu ta'ala sirrahu 'l-aziz) declares in his 225th letter, "Hadrat al-Mahdi (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) will disseminate Islam. He will bring into sight the sunnas of Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam). The contemporary man of religious authority in al-Madinat al-Munawwara, who will have been accustomed to committing and disseminating bidat' in the name of Islam, being perplexed by al-Mahdi's words, will say, 'This man wants to annihilate our faith.' Hadrat al-Mahdi will command that he shall be killed." This passage predicts that la-madhhabism will last the longest in Medina and will be totally annihilated by Hadrat al-Mahdi.

This writer, as he usually does, again quotes the ayats and hadiths about disbelievers, polytheists and munafiqs, and, by adding the explanations given by the scholars of Ahl as-Sunnat in detail, pretends to be a defender of the right path. Then he attacks the innocent Muslims who belong to Ahl as-Sunnat. In order to call domed tombs "idol-houses" and awliya' "idols," he is not ashamed of misinterpreting ayats and hadiths. Anyone who misinterprets those ayats or hadiths with tawil becomes a man of bidat, that is, a heretic, if he knows the tawil. One who, misinterpreting the clear nasses which need no tawil, attacks Islam and calls Muslims "mushriks" becomes a disbeliever. Although one who performs the tawil of nasses wrongly does not become a disbeliever, he brings discord among Muslims. To him, only he is the true Muslim and for centuries millions of Muslims have been mushriks. He alleges further that today most Muslims are worshiping the dead.

It is evident who the ignorant and heretical imams referred to in the hadith ash-Sharif are. Dissenting from the Muslim path of a thousand years, they have deviated. And every believer knows who the tyrannous statesmen who mislead Muslims are. They are the ones who, under the name of "Islam" and "Ahl at-tawhid" (monotheists), have tyrannized and killed Ahl as-Sunnat, the faithful of the right path. By misinterpreting the Qur'an al-karim and hadith ash-Sharif, this writer has been making up fatwas that disagree with the Qur'an al-karim and has been calling Muslims "polytheists." No Muslim scholars have ever said, "He who is in trouble or has a request shall come to my grave; I will fulfill his wish." The writer makes up this false statement and slanders Muslims. Scholars of Islam never said that they had approached Allahu ta'ala. Further, they never wanted even the karamats bestowed on them by Allah to be heard of. They taught that the greatest karamat was to obey the rules of Islam, its commands and prohibitions and to follow Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam). One day, when 'Abd al-Qadir al-Geilani (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) was walking under lightning and thunder in the desert with his disciples, the sky darkened and a voice from the clouds said, "My servant 'Abd al-Qadir! I love you very much. I have exempted you from performing 'ibadat from now on!" The great wali replied instantly, "Kadhdhabta ya Kadhdhab! You lie! Oh the liar Satan! You cannot deceive me. Allah's Beloved Muhammad (alaihi 's-salam) was not exempted from performing 'ibadat!"; he almost crawled to the mosque to attend the jamaat even during his last illness. No one is exempted from performing 'ibadat!" This writer does not feel ashamed of calumniating such blessed awliya' and regards having tawassul with and entreating dead awliya' as polytheism. Whereas, our master Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) declared, "Ask the ones in graves for help when you are confused about your affairs!" Muslims, following this hadith ash-Sharif, visit the graves of awliya' and expect help from them.

The scholars of Islam (rahimahum-Allahu ta'ala), following this hadith ash-Sharif, have visited the graves of awliya' and said that they received faid. Al-Imam ar-Rabbani (qaddas-Allahu ta'ala sirrahu 'l-aziz) wrote in his 291st letter, "I visited the honorable grave of my master Muhammad Baqi Bi'llah in Delhi on an 'Iyd day. When I concentrated my attention upon his blessed grave, he kindly noticed me with his holy soul. He treated this faqir with so much kindness that he granted me the faid he had received from Khwaja 'Ubaid-Allah al-Ahrar (qaddas-Allahu ta'ala sirrahu 'l-'aziz). After this share (nisba) was attained, the reality of the marifas of Tawhid resulted."

The above hadith ash-Sharif has been quoted in many books and has become very well-known among Muslims. The great alim Ahmad Shamsaddin ibn Kamal Effendi (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala), who was the ninth Shaikh al-Islam of the Ottoman Empire and the Mufti as-Saqalain (the Mufti who issued fatwas to both men and genies), explained in his book Sharh al-Hadith al-arbain [Turkish translation published in Istanbul, in 1316 A.H..] the eighteenth hadith, "Idha tahayyartum fi'l-umur, fastainu min ahli 'l-qubur!" (Ask the people in graves for help when you are confused about your affairs!) as: "Man's soul is in love with his body. This love does not fade away when he dies and the soul departs from the body. The soul's attraction to and interest in the body does not end after death. Therefore, it was prohibited in a hadith ash-Sharif to break the bones of the dead or to step on graves. When one visits a wali's grave, the souls of the two meet and much benefit accrues. It was for this benefit that visiting graves is permitted. It has, of course, some other secret advantages as well. [Ibn Abidin (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala), who passed away in Damascus in 1252/1836, wrote in the preface to his book Radd al-muhtar, "Imam Muhammad ash-Shafi'i was very modest and respectful to al-Imam al-azam Abu Hanifa (rahimahum-Allahu ta'ala). He said he attained blessing by visiting Abu Hanifa's grave, where he performed a two rak'a salat and prayed to Allahu ta'ala when he had a difficult question, the answer of which thus soon occured to him."] The soul of the Muslim in the grave and that of the visitor are like mirrors which reflect on each other. When the visitor looks at the grave and gives himself up to Allahu ta'ala's qada', his soul perceives this and his knowledge and moral qualities attain faid, which is then reflected to the heart of the one in the grave. And the knowledge and faid that have come from Allahu ta'ala to the soul of the dead are reflected to the visitor's soul. The Shafi'i scholar Ala ad-din 'Ali ibn Ismail (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala), who passed away in 792/1329, wrote in his book Al-alam fi hayati 'l-anbiya' 'alaihimu 's-salatu wa 's-salam, 'Prophets' and all Muslims' souls come down to their graves and to the place where their names are mentioned. Their souls have a relation with their graves. Therefore, grave-visiting is mustahab. They hear and reply to those who greet them,' In his 'Aqiba, Hafiz (hadith scholar) 'Abd al-Haqq al-Ashbili al-Maliki (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala), who passed away in 582/1187, quotes the hadith ash-Sharif, 'If anyone visits the grave of a Muslim brother of his and greets him, the dead recognizes him and replies to his greeting.' Shaikh Fakhr ad-din Ghazanfar at-Tabrizi said, 'I had thought deeply about a matter but could not understand it. I sat by the tomb of my shaikh, Taj ad-din at-Tabrizi (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) and thought over the matter. Then I solved it.' Some scholars said that 'the ones in graves' mentioned in the hadith ash-Sharif, 'Ask the ones in graves for help when you are confused about your affairs,' [This hadith sharif is explained in the Arabic book Al-basa'ir li munkiri't tawassuli bi-ahl al-maqabir (photo-offset reproduction in Istanbul in 1395/1975).] were the awliya' who, obeying the order, 'Die before you die,' had advanced on the way of tasawwuf."

The hadith ash-Sharif, "Munafiqs deceive Muslims by telling the truth" alludes to this writer, whose book is filled with ayats, hadiths and the true words of the 'ulama' of Ahl as-Sunnat while heretical ideas are sprinkled in between them. Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) ordered us to ask the ones in graves for help. But this writer calls those who do so "polytheists" and forbids the order in this hadith. He calls Rasulullah's order "polytheism."

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KARAMAT OF AWLIYA

18 - One page 168, he writes:

"It is claimed that awliya', dead or alive, miraculously help whomever they wish. People implore and ask help from them when they are in distress. They go to their graves and want to be relieved of their troubles. They think that the dead will work karama. They call the dead with such names as abdal, nuqaba', awtad, nujaba', the seventies, the forties, the sevens, the fours, qutb and ghawth. Ibn al-Jawzi and Ibn Taymiyya proved that it was false. It means to oppose the Qur'an. The Qur'an refutes the idea that awliya', alive or dead, can do anything. Allah is the Maker of everything. Others cannot do anything. Many ayats state that there is no feeling or activity in the dead. The dead cannot do anything for themselves and never for others. Allah informed that souls are near Him. But, as for these zindiqs, they say, 'Souls do freely whatever they wish.' Their claim that they work karama is a lie, too. Allah grants karama to the wali whom He wills. It is not with the wali's wish. It is uglier to ask them for help when one is in distress. Prophets, angels or awliya' cannot do anything bad or good to anybody. It is permissible to ask living people for material things. But no one else but Allah is to be entreated for immaterial, invisible things. It is polytheism for sick people or for those who are in danger of being drowned or the poor to ask prophets, souls, awliya' or some other creatures for help. Calling these 'karamat' is like idolaters' naming marvels. Allah's awliya' are not so."

On page 299, he says:

"If someone says that he is a wali and knows what is hidden, he is the wali of Satan, not of Allah. Karama is something which Allah produces in the hands of His pious servants who can attain it by praying or 'ibada. The wali's power or will does not affect it. Awliya' do not say that they are awliya'. They fear Allah. As-Sahaba and Tabiin were the highest awliya'. Yet, they did not say that they knew the ghaib. They used to weep out of fear of Allah. Tamim ad-Dari would not sleep because he feared Hell much. The Surat ar-Rad explains how awliya' are. Such mutasawwifs can be called awliya'."

First of all, we have to say that he wrote the truth of the matter in this last quotation. We wish he had not said that asking awliya' for help and prayer in tombs was polytheism, and how nice it would have been if he had not said that it was necessary to demolish the domes. He scatters poison between the true writings of his. He raises discordance among Muslims.

The following is an explanation of the true meanings of wali and karama, as derived from the many letters of al-Imam ar-Rabbani's (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaih) Maktubat:

"Karama is true. It means keeping away from polytheism, attaining marifa and deeming oneself nonexistent. Karama and istidraj should not be mistaken for each other. To wish to possess karama and kashf means to love someone other than Allah. 'Karama' means 'qurb' (nearness) and 'marifa.' The frequent occurrence of karama is due to more ascent and less descent on the way of tasawwuf. Karama is for strengthening yaqin. A wali who has been blessed with yaqin does not need karama. Karama is of no value when compared with the state of the heart which has got used to dhikr. There may be mistakes in a wali's kashf. The place where kashf takes place is the heart. Genuine kashf is not of the imagination, and it takes place in the heart through ilham. Kashfs mixed with imagination are not dependable. The kashfs of awliya' are reliable if they are congruous with Islam. If not so, they are not to be trusted. The kashfs and ilhams of awliya' cannot be taken as proofs or documentary evidences by other people. However, what a mujtahid said is a document for the followers of his madhhab. The possession of kashf and karama does not indicate the highness of the spiritual status. Kashfs and tajallis occur to the wayfarers on the way of tasawwuf. Those who have reached the end of the way are in amazement and busy with 'ibada. One should come with a bowed neck in modesty to a wali so that much benefit can be obtained. Much benefit can be acquired if one puts on himself the clothes of awliya' modestly and respectfully. Allahu ta'ala protects His awliya' from committing grave sins. Some awliya' were seen far from the place where they lived. It was the appearance of their souls in their bodily forms. Awliya' are not protected from small sins, but they are soon awakened from ghafla, and they make tawba and do pious deeds and ask for forgiveness. Awliya' beckon people both to the evident orders of Islam and to the secret, subtle knowledge. Some awliya' did not descend back to the world of causes. They are not aware of the excellences of prophethood, and they are not helpful to the people. They cannot supply faid. Most awliya' had the excellences of wilaya. For example, qutbs, awtad and abdal were so. They are able to bring up the youth with 'Ali's (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh) help.

"The superiority of the status of awliya' is proportional to the degree of Allahu ta'ala's love for them. Wilaya is the state of having attained to the zills (shadows, images, see next paragraph). Awliya' love and enjoy only the shadows. Wilaya is the shadow of nubuwwa (prophethood). One should take wilaya as wudu' (ablution) and nubuwwa as salat. Wilaya means purification from bad habits. A wali does not have to know that he is a wali. It is not a defect for the wali if he is granted wilaya without being made aware of it. To be a wali, it is necessary to expel the love for this and the next world out of the heart. It is good to be fond of the next world, this being one of the excellences of prophethood. There exist in man ten latifas, ten faculties from the spiritual world. The superiorities of wilaya and prophethood occur on these ten latifas. Wilaya means fana' and baqa'. It means to detach the heart from this world and to attach it to the hereafter. Wilaya cannot be comprehended through intellect or logic. Wilaya means nearness to Allahu ta'ala, and it is bestowed on those who have driven out of their hearts the thought of creatures. Throwing the thought of creatures out of the heart is called fana'. All excellences of wilaya are to be obtained by obeying Islam. And the excellences of prophethood are given to those who obey also the inner subtleties of Islam not known by everybody. The excellences of prophethood is not the prophethood itself. The kashfs and ilhams occurring to those who, passing all the degrees, have reached the end of wilaya happen to be in complete accordance with the knowledge drawn from the Nass, that is the Book and the Sunnat, by the scholars of Ahl as-Sunnat. Half of the progress in wilaya is upwards and the other half is downwards. Many people supposed that the upward progress was of wilaya and said that the downward progress was of prophethood. In fact, the descent is also of wilaya as the ascent is. Wilaya consists of jadhba (attraction) and suluk (progress by endeavoring), which are the two main corner-stones of wilaya but non-essential for the excellences of prophethood. The last rank in the wilaya is the degree of 'abdiyya (slavery to Allahu ta'ala). There is no further rank higher than this rank. Awliya' are directed towards Allahu ta'ala. However, with the excellences of prophethood, there are directions both towards Allahu ta'ala and khalk (creatures, human beings), and these two [directions] do not harm each other. Although the nafs of awliya' has become mutmainna (tranquil), the materials of the body are still needy and wishful.

"Wilaya is of five degrees. Each degree corresponds to the exaltation of one of the five latifas and is related to the path of one of the prophets called Ulu 'l-'azm, the first degree being related to the path of Adam ('alaihi's-salam). The wilaya of a prophet at the first degree of wilaya is more valuable than the wilaya of a wali of the fifth degree. The nafs should be annihilated to reach the highest degree of wilaya called wilayat khassa. The order 'Die before you die!' points to this annihilation. Wilaya is either khassa (special) or 'amma (common). Wilayat khassa is Muhammad's ('alaihi 's-salam) wilaya. And among his umma, those awliya' who follow him may attain to this wilaya, which is complete fana' and mature baqa'; the nafs is annihilated and resigns itself to Allahu ta'ala and Allahu ta'ala is pleased with it. The highness of wilaya does not depend on the degrees or the succession of the five latifas. One who has attained the wilaya of the latifa akhfa which is the highest, is not necessarily superior to the awliya' of wilayas of other latifas. The superiority of wilaya is measured by nearness or farness to the Origin ('Asl). A wali who has attained the wilaya of the latifa qalb, a latifa of lower degree, if closer (Qarib) to the Origin, is higher than the wali of the latifa akhfa but who has not come as close to the Origin as the former has. A wali who has attained Muhammad's ('alaihi 's-salam) wilaya is secured from being dismissed. Walis of other degrees are not secured and are in danger. Wilaya can be obtained only by the annihilation of qalb (heart) and ruh (soul). But this in its turn requires the annihilation of the other three latifas. The wilaya of a wali is called wilayat sughra (minor wilaya), and that of a prophet is called wilayat kubra (major wilaya). Wilayat sughra continues until the end of the progress in anfus and afaq. In wilayat sughra, there is no way of escape from error and illusion. It is the other way round with wilayat kubra. Wilayat sughra begins after passing beyond the originals of the five latifas outside the 'Arsh and ends after passing the zills (shadows, images) or appearances of Allahu ta'ala's Attributes which are the originals of the above-mentioned originals. Wilayat sughra takes place in afaq and anfus, that is, the creatures outside and inside man. In other words, it takes place in zills or images. Those who reach the end of this part of the way attain to the tajalli al-barqi, that is, tajallis (appearances) like instantaneous lightning. Wilayat kubra takes place in the originals of these images and is a progress closer to Allahu ta'ala. The wilaya of prophets is of this kind, and its tajallis are continuous. Wilayat sughra consists of jadhba (attraction) and suluk (progress by endeavoring). Attaining to the perfections of wilaya is possible by suluk, the qalb's dhikr, muraqaba (meditation) and rabita. However, the progress in the perfections of prophethood is attained by reciting the Qur'an al-karim and performing salat. For further advancement, there is no means left, but it is only by Allahu ta'ala's favor and benevolence that one may make further progress. One cannot go out of Islam however far one might advance. All the virtues of wilaya that have been attained will be ruined if there is any slackness in obeying Islam. It is through love and affection that one can advance beyond this point. Love and affection are different from favor and benevolence. Even the wilaya of prophets is inferior to their prophetic perfections. The Wilayat al-Muhammadiyya has brought together the wilayas of all the prophets in itself. Attaining to the wilaya of a prophet is equivalent to attaining a part of this wilayat khassa. The superiority of a wali is as great as his downward progress. His batin, that is, his qalb, ruh and other latifas, has been separated from his zahir, that is, his sense organs and mind. The ghafla state of his zahir does not confuse his batin. A wali can never attain to the status of a prophet. A wali may be superior to a prophet in one respect, but that prophet has an overall superiority over the wali. A wali may commit a venial sin but soon he repents and begs for forgiveness and he is not dismissed from his status of wilaya. The thing sought for in the way of tasawwuf is beyond fana' and baqa', tajallis and zuhurs, shuhud and mushahada, words and meanings, knowledge and ignorance, names and attributes, and imagination and wisdom.

"The murshid or rehber is the wasita who guides one to Allahu ta'ala. The more a disciple loves his rehber, the more faid he receives from his rehber's heart. The rehber is the vehicle and the tenor (purpose) is Allahu ta'ala. Al-murshid al-kamil is like a suction pump; on the one side, having descended to the stage of qalb, he is connected with the ruh, and, on the other, he has a connection with the nafs. He conducts the faid and marifa from the ruh to his disciples through the nafs. Anyone who hurts or does not believe the rehber cannot attain the true faith. [This is why the Wahhabis remain deprived of Allahu ta'ala's faids and ma'arif.] It has been declared, 'A dog is better than you if your heart is not broken by the one who offends your rehber.' Progress is impossible if there is any wavering in believing and trusting the rehber. There is no medicine for such wavering. For receiving faid from a rehber without his tawajjuh, it is sufficient only to love him. The iman of those who are in the presence of a rehber gets stronger and a desire to obey Islam rises. His words, hals, actions and 'ibadat are totally congruous with Islam; the one who follows and obeys him will have obeyed Rasulullah. He who is not so cannot be a rehber. [Those who are not on the right path and pass themselves off as rehbers, though they are not true ones, will mislead and harm their disciples.]

"Tasawwuf means to follow in the footsteps of Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam). Different paths have appeared as a result of [the differences in] men's nature. The purpose of tasawwuf is to increase the ikhlas. A rehber is necessary on the way of tasawwuf. The Twelve Imams and 'Abd al-Qadir al-Geilani and those who were like them (rahimahum-Allahu ta'ala) were rehbers.

"There are two ways leading to Allahu ta'ala: the way of nubuwwa and that of wilaya. A rehber is not necessary on the nubuwwa way, which leads one to attain to the 'Asl (Origin). A rehber is necessary on the wilaya way. There are no such things as fana', baqa', jadhba or suluk on the way of nubuwwa. To make progress on the wilaya way, it is necessary to forget about everything [this world and the next] and not to set the heart upon them. As for the nubuwwa way, the next world need not be forgotten. Tasawwuf is the way of strengthening the faith and living up to Islam with ease. Tariqa and haqiqa are the servants of Islam. Tariqa teaches that creatures should be deemed nonexistent. Haqiqa teaches that Allahu ta'ala should be known as existent. Tariqa does not teach one to keep away from people or to shut oneself up in some nook but to perform al-amru bi'l-maruf wa 'n-nahyu 'ani 'l-munkar and jihad and to live up to the Sunnat."

Not one Islamic scholar has ever said, "I can perform miracles. I can make you attain to whatever you wish." Islamic scholars have tried to veil their karamat and struggled to disseminate Islam, the knowledge of the Qur'an al-karim and Hadith ash-Sharif. This writer, citing the wrong, heretical words of the heretics, munafiqs and zindiqs and unintentional misdeeds of ignorant Muslims, attacks the 'ulama' of Islam and the great leaders of tasawwuf and calumniates Muslims of the right path. He is endeavoring to misuse ayats and hadiths to affirm his lies. And this is the most inferior, disgusting and evil example of heresy. No Islamic scholars have ever said that He knew the Lawh al-mahfuz, either. Allahu ta'ala gives secret knowledge to His beloved servants whom He wills and selects. He grants them karamat. But, such beloved servants do not talk about karama to anybody. Karamat take place without their will.

It was said in a hadith ash-Sharif that munafiqs and fajirs might tell the truth. This hadith ash-Sharif predicted that the la-madhhabi would deceive Muslims by quoting ayats and hadiths. Allahu ta'ala promised that He would accept the prayers of those whom He loved. Therefore, Muslims, relying on this promise of Allahu ta'ala, believe that the prayers of Islamic scholars, who obey Islam and follow in the footsteps of Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam), will be accepted. They beg those blessed human beings to pray and intercede for them.

We are ordered to say, "We ask Allah alone for help," in the Surat al-Fatiha. This ayat karima shows that no creatures can ever create anything, but only Allahu ta'ala can. Anyone who asks someone other than Allahu ta'ala to make something becomes a polytheist. This writer classifies men into two groups, the dead and the living, and writes that anyone who asks for help of those who are far away or dead becomes a polytheists, while he permits asking for material help from the living nearby. Thus, he opposes the Surat al-Fatiha and distorts the Qur'an al-karim, for, the ayat quoted above states that even the living nearby cannot be asked to make anything and that no one other than Allahu ta'ala can create anything. So, he must be a polytheist according to his understanding of the ayat.

In fact, Allahu ta'ala alone is the one who creates or makes everything. But, He creates everything through some causes. Ayats, hadiths and daily events are obvious proofs of this fact. Not only the learned but also the ignorant know this fact. And this is why the life in this world is called the 'alam al-asbab (the world of causes). For obtaining something, it is necessary to do the work which is the cause for that thing to be created. It is not in opposition to the Surat al-Fatiha to hold on to the means by which something is done. The hadiths, "There are ways of attaining everything. The way to Paradise is knowledge"; "The means for attaining maghfira is to please Muslims"; "One of the means which leads [one] to maghfira is to give food to a hungry Muslim"; "We do not ask help from a mushrik"; "Teaching knowledge causes grave sins to be forgiven"; "There is a medicine for every illness"; "Anyone who wants to strengthen his memory should eat honey," and "Drinking wine causes evil," indicate that Allahu ta'ala creates everything through some causes. Allahu ta'ala declared, "I taught Dhu'l-qarnain the reason for everything," in the Surat al-Kahf.

As we have mentioned in the preface of this book, every living and non-living thing, near us or far away, is the cause of an event or a reaction. In order for non-living things and animals to be a useful means for a person, he has to use them reasonably. For a person to be an intermediary for something, first he has to accept being an intermediary and then has to do some work or pray. His acceptance of mediation is either by his own realization of such a necessity or by being asked for mediation. That writer, like the Muslims of Ahl as-Sunnat, believes that non-living things and animals may be causes for Allahu ta'ala's creating, and he does not say that clinging to causes is polytheism. He believes that Allahu ta'ala will create what man expects of the means and also that a living human being nearby will help by praying if he hears the request for help. But he does not believe that people far away and the dead can hear and help by praying.

As it is seen, this writer, like Ahl as-Sunnat, believes that intermediaries are not creative. Thus he protects himself from being a polytheist. However, he departs from Ahl as-Sunnat by not believing that the people far away and the dead can hear and pray and that their prayer will be accepted. He calls Ahl as-Sunnat "mushrik" because they believe so. We will prove in the twenty-fourth article that the people far away and the dead can hear and the prayers of the pious servants of Allahu ta'ala are accepted. The following hadiths are quoted from the book Kunuz ad-daqaiq: "Prayers said for a brother-in-faith in his absence will not be refused"; "Prayers of the oppressed will be accepted"; "Prayers of the youth of my umma who do not commit sins will be accepted"; "Prayers of the father for the son are like the prayers of the Prophet for his umma"; "Prayers ward off evil."

The hadiths in the book Tanbih al-ghafilin say: "It will surely be accepted if a Muslim prays," and "The prayers of the one who eats a haram morsel will not be accepted for forty days." The hadith ash-Sharif quoted in Bostan declares, "Anyone who says three times the prayer, 'Bismi'llahi 'l-ladhi la yadurru ma'asmihi shai'un fi 'l-ardi wa la fi' s-sama'i wa huwa 's-sami' al-'alim', in the morning will be free from evil until the evening, and, if he says it in the evening, he will be free [from evil] until the morning." These hadiths indicate that the prayers of the pious and awliya' will be accepted. The writer of the book attacks this fact all along, saying that it is polytheism to beg Allahu ta'ala's beloved servants. How can one liken begging Allahu ta'ala's beloved servants and asking for their mediation to begging idols, who are Allahu ta'ala's enemies, and to asking idols to create the wishes? How can one confuse the right with the wrong! May Allahu ta'ala grant wisdom and a sense of justice to the la-madhhabi and guide them to the right path! May He redeem Muslims from this calamity! Amin!

The one who made up this mischief did great harm to Islam; now the ignorant sprinkle poison in Muslim countries. Muslims have to learn Islam correctly from the books written by the scholars of Ahl as-Sunnat (rahimahum-Allahu ta'ala) so that they will not be deceived by the la-madhhabi. Those who learn Islam correctly will not be taken in by their lies and will see that they are heretical separatists striving to disunite Muslims. The ignorant who do not learn Islam well will be taken in by their lies and slanders. Especially those who have fallen into their traps try to disseminate anti-madhhabism in their countries and mislead Muslims to calamity by translating their corrupt, poisonous books. Many hadiths foretold that these heretics would come about and have the characteristics of the Dajjal. It is openly stated in a hadith ash-Sharif that al-Mahdi (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala), after killing the Dajjal, will go to Mecca and Medina and put thousands of men of religious posts to the sword. Al-Imam ar-Rabbani (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) annotated this hadith ash-Sharif in detail in Maktubat. If they had attacked the disbelievers and the heretical groups instead of Ahl as-Sunnat, the Muslims of the right path, they would have served Islam. Fortunately, serving Islam does not fall to the lot of those who demolish Islam.

A great scholar of Islam al-Qastalani (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) wrote: "One of the karamat Allahu ta'ala has bestowed upon this umma is that there are qutbs, awtad, nujaba' and abdal among them. Anas ibn Malik (radi-Allahu 'anh) said that the abdal consists of forty persons. The hadith ash-Sharif quoted in al-Imam at-Tabarani's (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) Awsat declares, 'There will always exist forty persons on the earth each of whom is blessed like Ibrahim ('alaihi 's-salam). It rains because of their baraka. Allahu ta'ala appoints another one when one of them dies.' Ibn 'Adi (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) said, 'Abdal embodies forty persons.' The hadith ash-Sharif reported by Imam Ahmad (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) declares, "There are always thirty persons among this umma each of whom is blessed like Ibrahim ('alaihi 's-salam)." The hadith ash-Sharif reported by Abu Nuaym (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) in the book Hilya states, 'There exist some good people among my umma in every century. They are five hundred in number. Forty of them are abdal. They exist in every country.' There are many other hadiths on this subject. The hadith ash-Sharif reported as marfu' again by Abu Nuaym in Hilya declares, 'There always exist forty persons among my umma. Their hearts are like Ibrahim's ('alaihi's-salam) heart. Allahu ta'ala redeems His human servants from disasters for their sake. They are called abdal. They do not attain to that degree by performing salat, fasting or giving zakat.' Ibn Masud (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh) asked, 'Ya Rasul-Allah! By what means do they attain that degree?' 'They attain it by being generous and by advising Muslims,' said the Prophet. It was declared in another hadith ash-Sharif, 'The abdal among my umma do not curse anything.' Al-Khatib al-Baghdadi (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) wrote in his book Ta'reekh al-Baghdad, 'The nuqaba' comprises three hundred persons. The nujaba' comprises seventy; the abdal forty; the akhyar seven and the 'amad represents four persons. There is one ghawth. When human beings need something, the nuqaba' pray first. If it is not granted [by Allahu ta'ala], then the nujaba' pray. And if not granted again the abdal, akhyar and 'amad pray sequentially. If all are not granted, the ghawth, whose prayer will certainly be granted, prays.' " [Translation of Al-mawahib al-ladunniyya, p. 512.]

As it is seen, the la-madhhabi writer denies the teachings of tasawwuf based on the hadith ash-Sharif and insists on deceiving Muslims by saying that the la-madhhabi are obeying the hadith ash-Sharif.

Denial of karamat is an evidence of ignorance and unintelligence in understanding the Islamic faith. The assertion that as-Sahaba had not been seen performing karamat is another vile and disgusting lie. Many valuable books report the hundreds of karamat each Sahabi had been granted by Allahu ta'ala. The karamat of fifty-four Sahabis, along with the eye-witnesses, are written in Yusuf an-Nabhani's (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaih) Arabic book Jami' al-karamat. Here are some of these karamat:

Sariya, the Commander of Muslims, engaged enemy Persians on a plain near Nahawand in 23 A.H. The Persian army was just about to encircle the Muslims. Just at that moment, the condition of the Muslim army was revealed by Allahu ta'ala to Hadrat 'Umar (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh), who was delivering a khutba on the minbar in the mosque in al-Madinat al-Munawwara. During the khutba, he called, "Ya Sariya! To the hill! To the hill!" Sariya and his companions heard the Khalifa's voice. They backed on to the hill and, all well-arranged and concentrated, attacked towards the plain and defeated the enemy. [Jami al-karamat, p.33; Qisas-i Anbiya, p.589; details in Shawahid an-nubuwwa; that it was reported by al-Baihaki on the authority of Ibn Umar (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala alaihima), in Irshad at-talibin.]

Anas ibn Malik (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh) visited the then Khalifa 'Uthman (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh). He had seen a woman on his way to the Khalifa. Hadrat 'Uthman looked at him and said, "I see there is a sign of zina [Here, 'adultery' of eyes.] in your eyes." This was one of the karamat of Hadrat 'Uthman. [Hadrat Muhammad Masum al-Faruqi (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala alaih) Maktubat, III, 19th letter; details in Jami'al-karamat.]

The following karamat are translated from Shawahid an-nubuwwa:

People asked Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala), "As-Sahabat al-kiram (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anhum ajmain) had not been witnessed to have so many karamat as their posterity had been. What was the reason for this?" He said: "It was not necessary for karamat be endowed upon as-Sahabat al-kiram to strengthen their iman, because their iman was very strong. However, because the posterity's iman was not so strong, they were given karamat to affirm their iman." Abu Bakr (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh) willed that his children would be looked after by Hadrat 'Aisha (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anha) when he was about to leave this world. "My son and two daughters, I entrust them to you," he said. Whereas, he had only one daughter named Asma' other than Hadrat 'Aisha, who inquired, "I have only one sister. Who is the other sister of mine?" He said, "My wife is pregnant. I think she will have a baby-girl." After he died, a baby-girl was born as he had said.

'Ali (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh), when he was about to die, ordered Husain (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh), "Take my coffin to the place called 'Arnain, where you will see a shining, white rock. Dig there and bury me." So they did and saw as he had explained.

Hadrat Hasan, on a journey with 'Abdullah Ibn Zubair (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anhuma), stopped to rest at a date-grove. The date palms had withered. "How nice it would be if there were dates on the trees!" said 'Abdullah ibn Zubair. Then Hadrat Hasan prayed. A palm soon bloomed into clusters of dates. The people around said, "This is magic!" Hadrat Hasan declared, "No, it is not magic. Allahu ta'ala created it because of the prayer of Rasulullah's grandson."

One day, 'Ali ibn Husain Zain al-'Abidin (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anhuma) was dining with his household in the countryside. A gazelle approached and stood by them. "Oh gazelle! I am 'Ali ibn Husain ibn 'Ali, and my mother is Fatima bint (daughter, descendant, of) Rasul ('alaihi 's-salam). Come and eat, too," he said. The gazelle ate and went away. The children begged him to call the gazelle again. "I shall if you will not disturb it," he said. "We won't do anything," said the children. He called the gazelle again. The gazelle came and ate, but when one of the children petted its back, it shied and ran away.

Muhammad ibn Hanafiyya (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anhuma) said, "I am your uncle and older than you. Let me be the Khalifa," to 'Ali ibn Husain (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anhuma) who then suggested conferring with the Hajar al-aswad. They went to the Hajar-al-aswad. 'Ali ibn Husain told his uncle to ask about the matter. Muhammad asked the Stone but it kept silent. 'Ali ibn Husain, his hands up, prayed and then said, "Oh Stone! Please explain for Allah's sake who has the right to be the caliphate?" The Hajar al-aswad vibrated and a voice was heard, saying, "It is 'Ali ibn Husain's right to be the Khalifa."

One day, while Imam 'Ali Rida [He was the eight of the twelve Imams and passed away in Tus, that is, Mashhad, in 203 A.H. (818 A.D.).] (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaih) was sitting by a wall, a bird came flying and stood singing in front of him. "Do you understand what the bird is saying?" asked Hadrat Imam to the person sitting by him. "No," the person answered, "Allah, His Rasul and His Rasul's grandson know." Hadrat Imam said, "It complains that a snake has climbed close to its nest to eat its chicks. It wants us to rescue them from her enemy. You follow the bird and kill the snake." The person followed the bird and saw the snake as he was told.

'Abdullah ibn 'Umar (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anhuma) met, on a journey, a group of travelers waiting on the road. He asked them why they had stopped there. "We have heard that there is a lion on the way. That's why no one can go any further on his way," a traveler replied. 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar went to the lion and petted its back and removed it away from the road.

Safina (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh), one of the ex-slaves set free by Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam), narrated: "When I was traveling on a ship, a tempest set in and the ship was wrecked. I clung to a log. I was driven ashore by waves. I had to cross a forest on my way inland. A lion came out. I told it that I was a Sahabi of Rasulullah. It bowed its neck and led me out of the forest. It murmured when I left it. I understood that it had bid farewell to me."

Once Ayyub as-Sahtiyani (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) had a hard time in the desert with his friend who was so thirsty that his tongue hung from his mouth. "Do you have a problem?" he asked. "I am about to die of thirst," his friend said. "If you will not tell anybody, I may find you water," he said. His friend swore that he would not. Then, he stamped his foot on the ground and a spring gushed out. They drank to their fill. His friend did not explain the event to anybody until Ayyub died.

It is seen that Allahu ta'ala bestows karamat upon His beloved servants. Awliya' veil their karamat. They do not want anybody to hear about them.

Hamid at-Tawil narrated: "A brick fell when closing the grave of Sabit al-Banani (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) after his burial. We saw Sabit al-Banani performing salat in the grave. Thereupon, we went to his house and asked his daughter about him. She said her father performed salat late every night for fifty years and habitually prayed before dawn: 'Oh my Allah! If You have granted performing salat in the grave to anybody other than prophets, let it fall to my lot, too!' "

Many times Habib al-'Ajami [Habib al-Ajami was the disciple of Hasan al-Basri (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala alaih) and passed away in 120 A.H. (737 A.D.).] (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) was seen in Basra on the Tarwiya Day and in 'Arafat on the following day, the 'Arafa Day [the eighth and ninth days of the month Dhu'l-Hijja].

Fudail ibn 'Iyad (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) witnessed: "A blind Muslim came to Hadrat 'Abdullah ibn Mubarak [Abdullah ibn Mubarak was the disciple of al-imam al-azam (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala alaih) and passed away in 181 A.H. (797 A.D.).] (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) and begged much of him to pray for the recovery of his eyes. He entreated earnestly. 'Abdullah prayed long. soon the blind man gained his sight, and many people witnessed him see."

The karamat of as-Sahabat al-kiram and the Tabiin (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anhum ajmain), which are translated from the book Shawahid an-nubuwwa [Shawahid an-nubuwwa was written by Nur ad-din al-Jami (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala alaih), who passed away in 898 A.H. (1492).] and are reported in the preceding paragraphs, obviously prove that the la-madhhabi lies and cheats Muslims by saying that as-Sahaba and the Tabiin never performed karamat.

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WALI's & KARAMAT's

19 - The book says on page 300:

"Karamat is something bestowed by Allah upon those believers who fear Allah. He grants karama when one prays or worships. It does not occur as a result of the wali's wish or power. The one who says that he is a wali and knows the ghaib is not a wali but a Satan."

Here the author has not dared to deny the truth. However, it is a lie that awliya' make a show of their karamat. He dares to lie shamelessly so that he may write against the awliya' and tasawwuf. Because he does not know what wilaya and karama mean, he tries to smear great mutasawwifs with the corrupt, filthy words of zindiqs and of the irreligious. Let us see how the superiors of tasawwuf explained wilaya and karama. Imam Muhammad Mathum (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala), a great scholar of Islam and a source of karamat and a leading wali, who passed away in Sirhind, India, in 1079 A.H. (1668), wrote:

"Knowing Allahu ta'ala is more valuable than possessing kashf and karama, because being an 'arif of Allahu ta'ala is the comprehension of the secret knowledge about His Person and Attributes. As for marvels and karamat, they manifest secret knowledge about creatures. The difference between obtaining marifa by knowing Allahu ta'ala and a marvel or karama is like the difference between the Creator and the creature. Marifa is to know Allahu ta'ala, whereas a marvel and karama consists of understanding creatures. True ma'arif strengthen and mature iman. Marvels and karamat cannot do so. The progress of a man does not depend on karamat. Yet it is true that karamat have been witnessed from most of the beloved servants of Allahu ta'ala. The superiority of awliya' to one another is to be measured not with their karamat but with regard to their spiritual qurb and ma'arif towards Allahu ta'ala. If marvels and karamat were more valuable than ma'arif, then the Indian priests called Jukiyya (Yogis) and Brahmins would have to be superior to awliya'. Because they undertake austerities (riyadat) and go against what the nafs's wishes, they obtain marvels; as for awliya', qurb and ma'arif have been granted, and they do not want marvels. They do not want the knowledge about creatures while there is the virtue of knowing Allahu ta'ala. Marvels or miracles may be displayed by any person who undertakes hunger and austerities. They have nothing to do with being Qarib (close) to Allahu ta'ala or with knowing Allahu ta'ala. A desire for kashf and karama is a desire to keep oneself busy with creatures. Poem:

From the ominous, damned Satan,
marvels occur every moment.

Comes in through a door and chimney
to settle in the flesh and heart.

Beware talking of tasawwuf!
Nor boast about nur or karamat!

Karamat should make one His slave!
Otherwise a stupid hypocrite!

"Man gains perfection and virtue by attaining fana' and by disconnecting the heart from everything. Performing 'ibadat, following the way of tasawwuf, and putting the nafs into austerity are all intended for man's realization of his utter insignificance and for understanding that existence and attributes of existence belong to Allahu ta'ala alone. If someone wants to be known as superior to others, works marvels and extraordinary acts and thus gathers people around him, he is conceited and arrogant and he will be deprived of the recompense for his 'ibadat, sair, suluk and riyadat. He cannot attain the marifa of Allahu ta'ala. Hadrat Shihab ad-din as-Suhrawardi [He was the disciple of Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala) and passed away in Baghdad in 632 A.H. (1234 A.D.).] (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala), a great mutasawwif, wrote in his book 'Awarif al-ma'arif, 'Marvels and karamat are of no value in comparison with the heart's dhikr of Allahu ta'ala.'

"Shaikh al-Islam 'Abdullah al-Hirawi [Shaikh al-Islam Abdullah al-Ansari al-Hirawi passed away in Herat in 481 A.H. (1088 A.D.).] (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) said, 'The firasa (intuition, sagacity) or karama of the one who has marifa is the ability to distinguish those hearts which are suited for attaining the marifa of Allahu ta'ala from those which are not suited. As for those who undertake hunger and austerity, their firasa covers the secret knowledge about creatures; they cannot attain Allahu ta'ala's marifa. Awliya' who possess marifa always talk about Allahu ta'ala. However, people think that the one who tells secrets about creatures is a wali. [Unfortunately, the la-madhhabi author, too, takes such people as walis and, setting such vile people as examples, blames the Islamic 'ulama' and the great men of tasawwuf.] People do not believe the words of awliya' about the ma'arif of Allahu ta'ala. They say to themselves that if awliya' were really awliya' they would have known the secrets about creatures and that anyone who cannot know the secrets about creatures can never know Allahu ta'ala. They, being stuck in this wrong thought, do not believe awliya' (rahimahum-Allahu ta'ala). Allahu ta'ala, because He loves His awliya' very much, does not let them be busy with creatures. He does not even make them remember creatures. Men of Allah do not like those who are fond of the world, and, likewise, those who are addicted to the world cannot recognize and do not like men of Allah, who, however, can comprehend and reveal the secrets about creatures better than others if they mean to think about them. Because the firasa of those who undertake austerities and hunger are of no value, they may occur on Muslims, Jews, Christians or on any person; firasa is not particular to men of Allah only.'

"Allahu ta'ala disposes His wali to display karama when necessary. An evil person, pretending to be a wali by telling the ma'arif he has heard, cannot stain these ma'arif. A gem will not lose its value when it falls into rubbish.

"A rehber is a must on the way of tasawwuf, through whom comes the faid. The way cannot be found if he is not a real rehber. As-Sahabat al-kiram (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anhum ajmain) attained to high degrees in tasawwuf through the blessings in the sohbat of Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam)." [Muhammad Masum al-Faruqi (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala), Maktubat, I, 50th letter.]

"It is declared in the 56th ayat al-karima of Surat adh-Dhariyat, 'I have created genies and men so that they should perform 'ibada [for Me].' Some great men of tasawwuf understand this ayat as 'I have created them to know Me.' If a deep thought is given, it will be seen that both statements have the same meaning, because the best 'ibada is to perform dhikr. The highest degree of dhikr is that in which one forgets oneself because of the deep thought of the One remembered. And this is what marifa is. As it is seen, marifa is attained at the highest degree of worship. The order in this ayat is that 'ibada should be performed with ikhlas, without the interference of the nafs or Satan. And this cannot be achieved without attaining fana' and marifa. So, the performance of 'ibadat cannot be khalis without marifa." [Muhammad Masum al-Faruqi (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala), Maktubat, I, 51st letter.]

Al-Imam ar-Rabbani Mujaddid al-Alf ath-Thani Ahmad al-Faruqi as-Sirhindi (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) wrote in the ninety-second letter of the second volume of his Maktubat:

"It is not a condition for a wali [that is, for a person whom Allahu ta'ala loves] to display karamat. As it is not necessary for the 'ulama' to display karamat and hariqas, so it is not necessary for the awliya' to display karamat and hariqas, because wilaya means qurb-i ilahi. [That is, it means to get closer to Allahu ta'ala, to become an 'arif of His, to know Him. Al-Imam ar-Rabbani wrote in the 266th letter that the ayat al-karima in Surat adh-Dhariyat, 'I have created men and genies so that they should perform 'ibada [for Me],' means, 'I have created them so that they should be an 'arif of Mine.' As it is seen, the creation of men and genies is intended for them to attain marifa, to reach perfection by knowing Him.]

"While qurb-i ilahi is given to someone, no karama may be given to him. For example, he does not know of things concerning the ghaib. Another person may be given both the qurb and karamat. A third person is given not the qurb but the hariqas and the competence to give information from the ghaib. This third person is not a wali. He is a possessor of istidraj. The polishing of his nafs has caused him to know of the ghaib, to fall into heresy, to deviate from the right path. The first two persons have been honored with the gift of qurb; they have become walis. The superiority of the awliya' to one another is indicated by the degrees of their qurb."

Muhammad Mathum-al-Faruqi (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) wrote in the 140th letter of the second volume of his Maktubat:

"A hadith qudsi declares, 'One who bears enmity to one of My awliya' will have fought against Me. Among the things that bring My servant close to Me, the ones I love best are the things that I have made fard. When My servant does the supererogatory (nafila) 'ibadat, he gets very close to Me so much so that I love him very much. When I love him, I become his hearing ear, seeing eye, holding hand and walking foot. I give him whatever he wishes. When he invokes Me for help, I rescue him at once.' According to this hadith qudsi, among the things that make man attain the blessing of qurb, what Allahu ta'ala loves best is the 'ibadat that are fard. [It is fard, too, to refrain from harams. In fact, it is the most important fard.] The qurb proceeding from the fards is more perfect and more bounteous. But for fards to cause qurb and progress requires their being in a'mal-i muqarribeen. And this, in its turn, requires doing the supererogatory 'ibadat on the way of tasawwuf. As the salat requires an ablution first, so the fards to cause qurb requires making progress on the way of tasawwuf first. Unless the heart and the soul are purified [by doing the duties prescribed by rehbers, the experts of tasawwuf], one cannot attain the qurb of the fards and so the honor of being a wali."

Muhammad Mathum al-Faruqi, in the 17th letter of the third volume of his Maktubat, wrote, "The essence of our way is to hold fast to the Sunnat and to refrain from bidat. [In other words, it is to hold fast to the fards and sunnas and to avoid the things that have been concocted in the name of 'ibadat afterwards.]

"A hadith ash-Sharif declares, 'A person who revives a forgotten sunnat of mine will get the thawab of a hundred martyrs.' To revive it to others, thus causing them to do it, too. This second way of reviving Islam is the sublime way. It is more valuable than the first way, which is common. [good news to those who revive the Sunnat in the sublime way, that is, to those who write and promulgate the belief of Ahl as-Sunnat, the fards, harams, sunnas and makruhs, in short, the books of 'ilm al-hal, and those who help them financially and who adapt themselves to them, too! It has been explained in the books Se'adet-i Ebediyye (Endless Bliss) and in Islam Ahlaki how zakat and qurban are given compatibly with Islam to those who write and promulgate the knowledge of Ahl as-Sunnat.]

"Attaining Allahu ta'ala's love and making progress in the stages of qurb is possible only by holding fast to the Sunnat [that is, Rasulullah]. The command, 'Say unto them: if you love Allah, follow me! So Allah will love you,' which is the 31st ayat of Surat Al'Imran, proves our statement. [This ayat karima shows clearly that the word 'sunnat' in the hadith ash-Sharif means 'Islam,' that is, all the Rules (Ahkam) of Islam.]

"We should strictly avoid bidat. We should not make friends with holders of bidat; we should not even talk to them. [That is, we should not talk to those Muslims with heretical beliefs, the la-madhhabi and those who commit bidat'. For example, it is bidat to grow a beard shorter than a handful and then to claim to carry out the sunnat of growing a beard, for, 'growing a long beard' was commanded. It is written in al-Bariqa and in other books that this command means not to grow a beard less than a handful. A handful of beard means that which is grasped from the border of the lower lip and is trimmed at the lower border of the hand. Bidat means to do, as an 'ibada, something which is not a command, or a command which has been changed. It is not a bidat not to do a command, but it is a sin (fisq). A sinner believes not that he is worshiping but that he is guilty. Shaving a beard without an excuse ('udhr) is not a bidat but a sin. Shaving because of an excuse is not even a sin. To commit a bidat is the worst sin. It is a graver sin than murdering a man. Also, it is bidat to perform 'ibada with loudspeakers, to recite the Qur'an al-karim, salawat and ilahis or to perform dhikr with musical instruments. We should not consider a person who commits bidat' and who causes others to commit them to be a man of religious authority; we should not request information from him or read his books.]

"A hadith ash-Sharif declares, 'Holders of bidat are the dogs of those who are in Hell.' "

Muhammad Mathum al-Faruqi (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) wrote in the 313th letter of the second volume: "There are five kinds of duties to be done with the heart; the first one is the dhikr of the name of Allahu ta'ala. Man's heart contains a latifa called qalb. [Latifa is something which does not contain matter and is not an object.Soul, too, is a latifa. Qalb is translated as 'heart' in the text.] Without any sound, 'Allah, Allah....' is said through the imagination in the heart. The second duty is to perform the dhikr of the Kalimat at-tawhid, again through the imagination. In both kinds of dhikr no sound should be produced. The third duty is wuquf-i qalbi. This, too, is to meditate always upon the heart and to be utterly intent not to remember anything other than Allahu ta'ala. The latifa called the heart can never remain vacant. A heart that has been purified from the thoughts of creatures will spontaneously turn towards Allahu ta'ala. [It is like the air's automatically filling a bottle while being emptied of its contents.] It has been said, 'Empty your heart of the enemy! Then there will be no need to invite the beloved to the heart.' The fourth duty is muraqaba, which is also called jamiyya or aghahi. It is to think always that Allahu ta'ala sees and knows everything every moment. The fifth duty is rabita. It is to think that one is in front of an exalted person who perfectly follows the practice of Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) and that he is looking at his face. Thinking so ensures one to have permanent adab toward him. Adab and love attach the hearts to each other. It causes the faid and baraka in that person's heart to flow into one's heart. The easiest and the most useful of these five duties is rabita. If somebody who does not perfectly obey Rasulullah has somebody else perform rabita towards him, it harms both of them."

Al-Imam ar-Rabbani (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaih) wrote in the 286th letter of the first volume of his Maktubat:

"Making progress on the way of tasawwuf requires the tawajjuh and guidance of a rehber who knows the kamil and mukammil way. It is a very great blessing to have found such a true rehber, who gives one a duty suitable with one's talents. As well, it is jaiz for him to deem it sufficient for one only to attend his sohbat instead of giving a duty suitable with one's talents. He commands what he deems suitable with one's state. The rehber's sohbat and tawajjuh are more beneficial than other duties."

The above-mentioned five duties and the sohbat are intended to facilitate following the practice of Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam). Unless one lives up to Islam, these duties and the sohbat do not give any benefits.

As it is understood from the various letters quoted above, men's first duty is to attain Allahu ta'ala's qurb, that is, His marifa, rida' and love. And its only way is to follow Rasulullah and to avoid bidat'. Following Rasulullah easily and correctly requires ikhlas. 'Ibadat done without ikhlas will not be beneficial. They will not be accepted (maqbul). They will not make one attain the blessing of qurb. And ikhlas, in its turn, is attainable by striving on the way of tasawwuf. As it is seen, doing the duties prescribed by tasawwuf is intended to do 'ibadat with ikhlas so that they will be accepted. 'Ibadat that are accepted will make one attain Allahu ta'ala's qurb, marifa and love. All the Sahabat al-kiram attained the highest grade of ikhlas by doing the duties of sohbat and rabita. The value of their giving one handful of barley as alms became more valuable than others' giving gold as big as mountains. As it is seen, the way of tasawwuf is not a bidat. It is one of the fundamentals of the Islamic religion. The Sahabat al-kiram (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anhum ajmain) did the duties on the way of tasawwuf and thus became the highest ones of this umma.

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THE AYAT

20 - The la-madhhabi author writes on page 354 of his book:

"The sixty-fourth ayat of Surat al-Anfal means 'Allah is sufficient for you and for those who follow you. We do not need anybody other than Him.' Ibn al-Qayyim and Ibn Taymiyya interpreted this ayat so. They said that it was wrong to interpret this ayat as 'Allah and those who follow you are sufficient for you.' Nobody other than Allah can be sufficient. The two ayats before this ayat state, 'Allah will of course suffice for you when they attempt to deceive you. He has strengthened you both with His help and with the believers' help.' He made a distinction between the words 'suffice' and 'strengthen.' He used the word 'suffice' only for Himself, while He used the word 'strengthen' both for Himself and for His human servants. And believers say, 'Allah will suffice for us; He is sufficient.' no one has said, 'Allah and His prophets will suffice for us.' Allah alone is sufficient and to be trusted."

Al-Imam al-Baidawi (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala), the "Crown" of the scholars of tafsir who passed away in Tebriz in 685 A.H. (1285), wrote: "This ayat descended at the place called Beeda during the Battle of Badr, or, according to Hadrat 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas, after thirty three men and six women and lastly Hadrat 'Umar (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anhum ajmain) became believers in Mecca. It means 'Allahu ta'ala and the believers are sufficient for you.' " [Al-Imam al-Badawi, Tafsir. Also the Tafsir Husaini and Tafsir al-Jalalain write the same.] Al-Imam ar-Rabbani (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) declared: "Our Prophet ('alaihi wa 'ala 'alihi 's-salawatu wa 't-taslimat) had requested Allahu ta'ala to strengthen and disseminate Islam through Hadrat 'Umar's help. And Allahu ta'ala helped His beloved Prophet through Hadrat 'Umar and declared in Surat al-Anfal, 'Oh My Prophet! Allah and those who follow you will suffice for you as helpers.' 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas reported that this ayat descended upon Hadrat 'Umar's embracing Islam." [Maktubat, II, 99th letter.]

Al-Hadimi wrote: "Imam Muhammad (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) declared in his book Jami' as-Saghir that praying by saying 'for the Prophet's sake' or 'for the sake of [such and such] a wali,' was makruh tahrima. On this statement the book Al-hidaya comments, 'Because, creatures have no rights on Allahu ta'ala.' However, it was also stated that it was not makruh to pray so thinking of the right bestowed on a beloved servant of His by Allahu ta'ala. Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) prayed by saying, 'Oh my Rabb! For the sake of those who pray to You and for the sake of Muhammad,' ('alaihi 's-salam) and the fatwa of Bazaziyya, too, stated that it was permissible to pray so." [Bariqa, p. 1053.] Similarly, Allahu ta'ala alone suffices for everyone in every affair everywhere every time. There is no other Helper and it is polytheism to ask others for help, yet, it was permitted to pray with these words thinking of the right given by Allahu ta'ala, who uses prophets, pious people, scientists, various substances and powers, owners of wealth, businesses and high positions as means or media for His creating. It is permissible to hold fast to these means and to expect Allahu ta'ala to create through them. It would be good to say, "They, as causes for Allahu ta'ala's creating, are sufficient for us." For this reason, the profound 'ulama' of tafsir explained the above-mentioned ayat al-karima as "Allahu ta'ala and the believers around you are sufficient for you."

The hadith ash-Sharif related by Imam Ahmad and Muslim (rahimahuma'llahu ta'ala) on the authority of Abu Huraira (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh) and which is also quoted on page 381 of the Wahhabite book, declares, "Rubba ash'asin madfu'un bi 'l-abwabi law aqsama 'ala'llahi la abirrahu." (You see many a person who are dismissed from doors and not listened to for their hair and beard are uncombed and clothing patched; if they take an oath with Allah's Name, Allahu ta'ala, for the sake of these beloved servants of His, immediately creates and grants their requests.) This hadith ash-Sharif is one of the proofs of the fact that the knowledge of tasawwuf and seeking for a rehber (guide) and trying to gain his heart is right. Taking this hadith ash-Sharif as a reference, he books Bariqa and Al-Hadiqa comment on the twenty-third of the sixty prohibited statements: "It is written in the fatwa of Bazaziyya that such prayers as 'Oh my Rabb! I ask for the sake of the value that You have bestowed upon Your [such and such] prophet or servant who is a wali, alim or salih,' are permissible, that is, halal. As understood from Munya and many other books, it is mustahab to pray so. It is written in valuable books that many 'arifs told their disciples: 'You ask me when you will ask Allahu ta'ala for something! I am the mediator between Allahu ta'ala and you now.' Hadrat Abu 'l-'Abbas al-Mursi (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) advised his disciples, 'When you ask Allahu ta'ala for something, ask for the sake of Imam Muhammad al-Ghazali (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala),' These are written in many books, for example, in Al-Hadiqa and Hisn al-basin."

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IMAMS OF THE MADHHABS

21 - The la-madhhabi author writes on the 385 the page:

"It was permissible for the imams of the religion to perform ijtihad. They wrote down the documents of the conclusions they drew. If someone follows the way concluded by his imam instead of what a document, an ayat or a hadith states, or what he himself finds out suggests, he becomes a heretic. Imam Malik, Ahmad and ash-Shafi'i said so, too."

These three great imams of the Ahl as-Sunnat and also al-Imam al-Azam Abu Hanifa (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaihim) said it for those profound 'ulama' called "mujtahid imams." A mujtahid had to follow the document, an ayat karima or a hadith ash-Sharif, he came across. He cannot follow either the ijtihad of another mujtahid or his own. This is due to it not being permissible to perform ijtihad on the subjects clearly stated in an ayat karima or a hadith ash-Sharif.

Al-Hadimi wrote: "We are not mujtahids but muqallids. For us the muqallids, the words of those 'ulama' of fiqh called mujtahids are documents. If an ayat karima or a hadith ash-Sharif that we know seems incongruous with their words, it is necessary for us to follow not what we understand from the ayat or the hadith but their words; it is not permissible to say that they did not see that document or that they saw but could not understand it." [Al-Hadimi, Bariqa, p.376.]

The la-madhhabi author thinks Ibn Taymiyya and his novice Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyya are mujtahids. He obeys what they understood of ayats and hadiths and does not like the ijtihads of the imams of our religion. Whereas, as he admits above, our imams wrote down also the ayats and hadiths they took as documents together with the statements they concluded as ijtihad. This author likens Ahl as-Sunnat, who obey the imams of Islam, to Christians and Jews who, ignoring Allahu ta'ala's Book, follow priests and rabbis. He becomes so rude as to say that Muslims are polytheists. How nice it would be if he would realize that he himself is in heresy because of following the ignorant, non-mujtahid men who are unable to understand the greatness of the 'ulama' of Ahl as-Sunnat.

Ibn 'Abidin wrote at the beginning of the subject on tahara: "Muqallids do not have to find and see the documents of mujtahids." The Wahhabi author does not believe this, either. He quotes the hadith ash-Sharif said onto Muaz, which in fact refutes his heretical beliefs. Because he has a good knowledge of Arabic, his native language, he quotes many ayats and hadiths in order to show his every word documented. However, because he is poor in reasoning, logic and judgement, he cannot see that the ayats and hadiths he quotes as documents for his words, in fact, bring into light that his argument is corrupt and unsound. He also reports al-Imam al-Azam Abu Hanifa (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) as having said to his disciples, "Take ayats and hadiths and ignore my statements!" Al-Imam al-Azam said this to his disciples who were mujtahids, but this author supposes that it refers to muqallids like us and like Ibn Taymiyya, Ibn al-Qayyim, Muhammad 'Abduh, Sayid Qutb and Mawdudi, who should have read and learned the books of an imam al-madhhab and tried to attain bliss by following that imam.

This author quotes on page 393 the ayat al-karima, "If you invite munafiqs to Allahu ta'ala and to His Messenger, they turn their faces away and do not come," and likens Ahl as-Sunnat to munafiqs. He says,

"Ahl as-Sunnat turn away from ayats and hadiths and insist on following their imams of madhhabs and thus become polytheists."

Here, again, he calumniates the Muslims who are Ahl as-Sunnat. Because we do not believe their wrong, distorted interpretations of ayats and hadiths, he alleges that we have deviated from the right path. We say to him: "We do not turn away from ayats. We disobey not them but your wrong interpretations of them. Their meanings are not what you understand of them. Their correct meanings were told to as-Sahabat al-kiram (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anhum) by our Prophet (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam), and the 'ulama' of Ahl as-Sunnat (rahimahum-Allahu ta'ala) learned them by acquiring them from as-Sahabat al-kiram and wrote in their books what they comprehended. They wrote openly what was stated openly; they performed ijtihad on ambiguous ones things wrote what they understood through ijtihad. We have been following what these great 'ulama' understood and wrote. We do not want to be deceived and led away from the right path by following the la-madhhabi's misinterpretations. Not we but you are the ones who have turned away from the Book and the Sunnat!"

Muhammad Hasan Jan as-Sirhindi al-Mujaddidi (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaih) wrote:

"The ah'kam (rules, laws) of Islam were made known to us, the ordinary Muslims, by profound scholars ('ulama') and perfected pious Muslims (salihun). They were muhaddithun and mujtahids (rahimahum-Allahu ta'ala). The muhaddithun studied the hadiths and selected the genuine ones. And the mujtahids drew rules from ayats and hadiths. We do all our 'ibadat and affairs in accordance with these rules. Since we live in a age far later than that of Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) and cannot distinguish nasikh from mansukh, and muhkam (with open meaning) from muawwal (with meaning not openly understood) nasses and cannot know how actually concurrent the nasses that seem contradictory are, why have to follow a mujtahid. Because, there is no way other than following a mujtahid who lived not much later than Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) and who was a profound alim possessing much taqwa and was proficient in deducing rules and who understood the meanings of hadiths correctly. Even Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyya, who is now regarded as a great scholar by the la-madhhabi, wrote in his "I'lam al-muqiin that is was not permissible for one who did not have these qualities to make conclusions from the Nass, that is, the Book and the Sunnat. The book Kifaya says, 'When an 'ami (non-mujtahid learns ahadith ash-Sharif, he is not permitted to act according to what he himself understands of it. A meaning other than what he understands of it might have to be given to it, or it can be mansukh. Whereas, the fatwas of mujtahids are not so.' The same is written in Taqrir, the commentary to Tahrir, which, after saying, 'It can be mansukh,' adds, 'He has to obey what the 'ulama' of fiqh said.' Sayyid as-Samhudi (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala), in his Al-'Iqd al-Farid, quoted Imam Abu Bakr ar-Razi, on the authority of Ibn al-Humam who was one of the superiors of the Hanafi 'ulama', as saying, 'Profound 'ulama' unanimously declared that non-mujtahid Muslims should be prevented from following [directly] the Companions of the Prophet and that they should follow the words of those 'ulama' who came later and gave the explicit, codified and clear explanations.' Muhibbullah al-Bihari al-Hindi (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala), who passed away in 1119 A.H. (1707), wrote in his Musallam as-subut and its annotation Fawatih ar-rahamut: 'Profound 'ulama' unanimously declared that non-mujtahid Muslims should be prevented from following the Companions of the Prophet and that they should follow those 'ulama' who explained Islam in explicit, codified rules. Taqi ad-din 'Uthman ibn as-Salah ash-Shahr az-Zuree (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) [577-643 A.H. (1181-1234)] deduced from this that it was not permissible to follow anybody other than the four imams.' It is written in Sharh al-minhaj al-usul: 'Al-Imam al-Haramain ['Abd al-Malik an-Nishapuri ash-Shafi'i, who passed away in 478 A.H. (1085)] wrote in his book Burhan that non-mujtahid Muslims should not follow the madhhabs of the Companions of the Prophet. They should follow the madhhabs of the four aimmat al-madhahib.'

"It is seen that those who do not obey the above-mentioned ijma' of the 'ulama' are heretics, because as-Sahabat al-kiram (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anhum ajmain) were busy with jihad and disseminating Islam and did not have time to write books of tafsir and hadith. Rasulullah's (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) nur diffused into their blessed hearts so much so that they did not need to learn through books. Each of them found the right way with the power of that nur. After the best century [the first century of Islam], there appeared disagreement in opinions and knowledge. There appeared some inconsistent narrations (khabars) related from as-Sahabat al-kiram and the Tabiin. Those who looked for the right path got confused. Allahu ta'ala, as a favor, selected the four salih and muttaqi (Allah-fearing) imams from among this blessed umma. He bestowed upon them the superiority of drawing rules from nasses. He decreed that all Muslims would attain salvation by following them. He ordered Muslims to follow them. This order of Allahu ta'ala is in the 58th ayat karima of Surat an-Nisa', which declares: 'Oh you who believe! Obey Allah and obey the Rasul and obey your Ulu 'l-amr!' Here 'Ulu 'l-amr' means 'profound scholars who have attained to the degree of mujtahid' and these 'ulama' are the well-known four [mujtahid] imams of the four madhhabs. The 82nd ayat of Surat an-Nisa' clearly states that the superior people who are called Ulu 'l-amr in the above ayat are these mujtahids: 'Ulu 'l-amr are the 'ulama' who can draw rules from nasses.' Some said that Ulu 'l-amr were 'rulers' or 'governors.' If they meant 'those rulers who could draw rules from [or perform ijtihad based on] nasses,' they were right. Rulers might have been Ulu 'l-amr if they were 'ulama' but not because they were rulers! The Four Caliphs and 'Umar ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anhum ajmain) were the rulers who were also 'alims. Ignorant, sinful or disbelieving rulers cannot be like them, for, the Hadith declares, 'One should not obey the sin-provoking words of anybody! [Yet rising against the law or rebellion against the State is never ja'iz (permissible). Muslims should always support the State; if the State becomes weak, fitna and revolution occur, which are worse than the worst administration.] The 15th of the Surat Luqman declares, 'If they force you to attribute something, which you do not know, as a partner to Me, do not obey this command of theirs.' The hadith ash-Sharif clearly defines what 'Ulu 'l-amr' means: a hadith ash-Sharif narrated by 'Abdullah ad-Darimi says, 'The 'ulama' of fiqh are the Ulu 'l-amr.' Al-Imam as-Suyuti quoted Ibn 'Abbas (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anhuma) in his tafsir book Itqan as saying, 'The Ulu 'l-amr are the [four leading] 'ulama' of fiqh and Islam.'This is also written on page 375 of the third volume of At-tafsir al-kabir, on page 124 of the second volume of Sharh al-Muslim and in the tafsir books Ma'alim at-tanzil and Nishapur. These clear definitions given in ayats and in the books of hadith and tafsir show not only that it is necessary to obey the mujtahids but also clarifies that the la-madhhabi's statement, 'It is polytheism and bidat to obey somebody other than Allah and the Prophet,' to be heretical and nonsensical. On this subject, there are many other hadiths and khabars:

"1) Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) asked Muaz ibn Jabal (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaih) how he was going to judge when he ordered him to go to Yaman as a judge. 'According to Allahu ta'ala's Books,' he said. "What if you cannot find [a solution] in Allah's Book?' asked Rasulullah. 'I will look at Rasulullah's sunnat,' he answered. And when asked, 'If you cannot find in Rasulullah's sunnat, either?' Ma'adh said, 'I will do it according to what I understand as a result of my ijtihad.' Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) put his blessed hand on Muaz's chest and said, 'Al-hamdu li'lillah! Allahu ta'ala made His Rasul's rasul (deputy) agree with Rasulullah's approval.' At-Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud and ad-Darimi wrote this hadith ash-Sharif in their books. This hadiths Sharif openly indicates that 'Ulu 'l-amr' means 'mujtahids' and that Rasulullah is pleased with those who obey them.

"2) A hadith ash-Sharif narrated by Abu Dawud and Ibn Maja says, ' 'Ilm is composed of three parts: al-Ayat al-muhkama, as-Sunnat al-qa'ima and al-Faridat al-'adila!' The great scholar of hadith 'Abd al-Haqq ad-Dahlawi, while expanding this hadith ash-Sharif in Ashi'at al-lama'at, his Persian commentary to Mishkat, wrote: 'Al-Faridat al-'adila is the knowledge conformable to the Book and the Sunnat. It refers to ijma' and qiyas, for, ijma' and qiyas were drawn from the Book and the Sunnat. Therefore, ijma' and qiyas were counted as equivalent and similar to the Book and the Sunnat and were called al-Faridat al-'adila. Thus it was ordered as a wajib to do one's deeds conformable to both of them. Consequently, the meaning of the hadith ash-Sharif became that the sources of Islam were four, namely the Book, the Sunnat, ijma' and qiyas.'

"3) 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh) appointed Shuraih as a Qadi and told him: 'look at what is revealed explicitly in the Book. Do not ask others for such matters! If you cannot find [an answer to what you are asked] in it, resort to the Sunnat of Muhammad ('alaihi 's-salam)! If you cannot find in it, either, perform ijtihad and give you answer according to how you understand.'

"4) When plaintiffs came, Hadrat Abu Bakr (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh) used to look at Allahu ta'ala's Book and make decisions based on what he found in it. When he could not find in it, he would answer according to what he had heard from Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam). If he had not heard [anything concerning the matter in question], he would ask as-Sahabat al-kiram (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anhum ajmain) and settle the question according to their ijma'.

"5) When he was asked to judge, 'Abdullah ibn Abbas (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anhuma) used to give the answer he would find in the Qur'an al-karim. When he could not find it in it, he would quote what he had heard from Rasulullah. If he had not heard anything from him, he would ask Abu Bakr or 'Umar (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anhuma). When they could not give an answer, he would decide according to his ra'y (observation, reasoning).

"Now, we shall explain that asking mujtahid scholars means asking the four aimmat al-madhahib. Since the time of as-Sahabat al-kiram and the following centuries up to now, all Muslims have followed (taqlid) these four imams. There has formed ijma' on following them. The hadiths, 'My umma will not have ijma' (will not agree) on dalala,' and, 'Allahu ta'ala's approval is in [your having] ijma'; he who deviates from the jamaat will go to Hell,' openly indicate that this ijma' is sahih.

"The second document which proves that it is wajib to follow the four imams is the 71st ayat al-karima of Surat al-Isra: 'On that day, We will call each group with their leaders (imams)!' Qadi al-Baidawi (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) wrote in interpretation of this ayat karima that it meant 'We will call each umma with the prophet whom they accepted as their leader and with those whom they followed in their religion. The same is written in Madarik. Al-Imam al-Baghawi, in his tafsir Ma'alim at-tanzil, quoted Ibn 'Abbas as saying, 'They will be called with their rulers who will have taken them to salvation or to heresy,' and Said ibn Musayyab as saying, 'Each people (qawm) will gather around their rulers who will have led them to goodness or to wickedness.' In Tafsir-i Husaini [and in the tafsir Ruh al-bayan], it is written that they will be called by [the name of] their imam al-madhhab, for example, 'Oh Shafi'i' or 'Oh Hanafi' will be said. From this has been deduced that those imams who were kamil and mukammil will intercede for those who follow them. Al-Imam ash-Sharani wrote in his Al-mizan al-kubra: when Shaikh al-Islam Ibrahim ibn al-Laqani [(rahimah-Allahu ta'ala), a Maliki scholar of kalam] passed away [in 1041 A.H. (1632)], some sulaha' saw him in a dream and asked him how Allahu ta'ala had treated him; the Shaikh al-Islam said that, when the questioning angels seated him, Imam Malik came and said, 'Is it apt to ask such a person whether he believes in Allahu ta'ala and His Rasul? Leave him alone,' and that they left him. It is written again in Al-mizan: 'The superiors of tasawwuf and the 'ulama' of fiqh will intercede for those who obey them. They will be with them when they submit their souls to Allahu ta'ala, while being questioned by Munkar and Nakir in the grave and during the Resurrection, Gathering and Judgement and on the Sirat Bridge. They will not forget them. While the superiors of tasawwuf will help their followers at every fearful place, will not mujtahid imams protect them? These [mujtahid imams] are the aimmat al-madhahib. They are the guards of this umma. How fortunate you are my brother! Follow whichever you wish of the four aimmat al-madhahib and attain happiness!' As it is seen, everybody will be called by the name of his madhhab's imam on the Day of Judgement. The imam will intercede for those who obey and follow him. All the four Aimmat al-madhahib were superior as such. In the 15th ayat of Surat Luqman, Allahu ta'ala declares, 'Follow in the footsteps of those who have turned to Me in repentance.' It has been unanimously reported that the four imams had the quality of inaba, that is, turning to Allahu ta'ala in repentance.

"The third document which proves that it is wajib to follow the four imams is the 114th ayat al-karima of Surat an-Nisa'. In this ayat karima, Allahu ta'ala declares: 'We will drag the person who, after learning the way to guidance, opposes the Prophet and deviates from the believers' path along the direction to which he has deviated, and then We will throw him into Hell, the terrible.' Hadrat al-Imam ash-Shafi'i was asked which ayat karima proved that ijma' was a source [for Muslims]. To find a documentary proof, he read through the Qur'an al-karim three hundred times and found this ayat karima to be the answer. Since this ayat karima prohibits one from deviating from the believers' path, it is wajib to follow this path. The tafsir book Madarik, after interpreting this ayat karima, writes: 'This ayat karima shows that ijma' as a source, and it is not permissible to ignore ijma' just as it is not permissible to ignore the Qur'an and the Sunnat.' And the tafsir al-Baidawi writes in the interpretation of this ayat karima: 'This ayat shows that it is haram to ignore ijma'. Because it is haram to deviate from the believers' path, it is wajib to follow this path.' The sulaha' and 'ulama' of this umma said that it is wajib to follow a madhhab and that it is a great sin to be la-madhhabi. To oppose this consensus of the 'ulama' means to disobey this ayat karima, for Allahu ta'ala declared in the 110th ayat of Surat al 'Imran: 'You are of that umma who is benevolent to human beings. You command [them] to do what is right. You prohibit what is wrong.' The 'ulama' of this umma said that it was very wrong to be la-madhhabi and that Muslims should not be la-madhhabi. Therefore, he who, thinking that it is permissible to be la-madhhabi, disobeys this command of the 'ulama' will be denying this ayat karima.

"Question: 'Are not the Qadiyanis, Nitcherees and other la-madhhabi people believers? Doesn't following them mean following the believers' path?'

"Answer: The scholars of these la-madhhabi people say that they obey only two of the four sources of al-adillat ash-Shariyya. They refuse to accept the other two sources, thus separating from the majority of Muslims and dissenting from the path of Ahl as-Sunnat wal-Jamaat. Following them will not save one from Hell. People of the Shai, Khariji, Mutazila, Jabriyya and Qadariyya groups claim to be obeying their scholars, too. We confute the la-madhhabi by giving them the same answers they give to these groups.

"The fourth document proving that following a madhhab is wajib is the 43rd ayat al-karima of Surat an-Nahl or the 7th ayat al-karima of Surat al-Anbiya': Allahu ta'ala declares, 'If you do not know, ask the people of dhikr (ahl adh-dhikr)!' This ayat karima commands those who do not know how to do their 'ibadat and affairs to learn by asking those who know. In the ayat al-karima, it is commanded 1. to learn by asking, 2. to ask not anybody or the ignorant of Islam but to ask 'ulama', and 3. to ask what is not known. Therefore, when one is not efficient enough to search and find a solution for one's problem in the Qur'an al-karim or the Hadith ash-Sharif, one should ask and learn from the majtahid [or from the books written by the 'ulama'] of the madhhab to which one belongs. If one asks him and acts according to what one learns from him, one will be following (taqlid) him. If one does not ask or disobeys or denies what the mujtahid said, one becomes a la-madhhabi person.

"Who are the ahl adh-dhikr' mentioned in the ayat al-karima? Are they the aimmat al-madhhahib or ignorant men of religious post? The answer is in the hadith ash-Sharif recorded by Ibn Mardawaih Abu Bakr Ahmad [al-Isfahani, who passed away in 410 A.H. (1019),] on the authority of Anas ibn Malik: Upon saying, 'One may perform salat, fast and go on hajj and ghaza, but he might be a hypocrite,' the Prophet was asked, 'From where does his hypocrisy come?' The Prophet said: 'He is a hypocrite because he despises, dislikes his imam. His imam is of ahl adh-dhikr.' From this, it can be concluded that 'ahl adh-dhikr' means 'Ulu 'l-amr' which was defined in the explanation of the first document above. According to the genuine (sahih) reports, Ulu 'l-amr were the 'Ulama' ar-rasikhin and the four aimmat al-madhahib. The ayats 'Only the possessors of 'aql (reason) can understand'; 'Indeed the possessors of 'aql can understand,' and 'Oh the possessors of 'aql! Take warning!' indicate the superiority of the four aimmat al-madhahib. Those ignorant and heretical men who have not received faid from possessors of zuhd and taqwa and from men of Allah and who, having learned some Arabic and Persian, give meaning to nasses, that is, ayats and hadiths, with their narrow minds are very far from having the qualities of the aimmat al-madhahib. These la-madhhabi people are the heretics referred to in the hadiths, 'Those who, though having no knowledge of tafsir, interpret the Qur'an al-karim by themselves will be seated on stakes of fire in Hell,' and 'The time will come when there will be left no alim of Islam and the ignorant, appointed to be religious officers, will issue fatwa unknowingly. They will not be on the right path and will lead everybody off the right path.' It is written in the book Mishkat that Jabir (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh) narrated that once one of his friends was wounded on the head while on a journey and asked if it was permissible to put on an amulet. [Du'a (prayer) and/or ayats from the Qur'an al-karim in written form.] He was told it was not and that he should wash his head; his friend washed his head and he died. On arrival in Medina, everything was reported to Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam), who declared: 'They caused his death. And may Allahu ta'ala cause their death! Why did they not ask what they did not know? The remedy for ignorance is to learn by asking.' While it was harshly said, 'May Allahu ta'ala cause their death!' for those Sahabis who did not ask more learned ones but gave a fatwa by themselves, what should be said to those contemporary people who regard themselves as men of religious authority and who, without having read the books of the Islamic 'ulama', attempt to interpret the Qur'an al-karim and the Hadith ash-Sharif with their empty heads and short sights, and thus destroy Muslims' religion and belief? It will be correct to call such people the 'thieves of religion and belief.' May Allahu ta'ala protect us from the harm of such thieves of the religion! Amin! Muhammad Ibn Sirin [passed away in Basra in 110 A.H. (729)] said, 'Be careful about the person from whom you learn your religion! Hadrat Abu Musa 'l-Ashari, though he was among the notables of the as-Sahabat al-kiram, used to hesitate to issue a fatwa in 'Abdullah ibn Masud's presence and would say, 'You should not ask me anything in the presence of this ocean of knowledge,' for, 'Abdullah ibn Masud was more learned and knew more fiqh than Abu Musa 'l-Ashari (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anhuma). Al-Imam ash-Shafi'i, though he was a profound alim, omitted reciting the Qunut prayer in the morning salat and the raising of the two hands after ruku' every time when he performed salat near al-Imam al-Azam Abu Hanifa's grave. When the reason was asked, he said, 'My respect for that great imam prevents me from acting unconformably to his ijtihad in his presence.' Al-Imam al- Azam was such a superior alim of Islam. To understand his superiority one must be an alim like the great alim al-Imam ash-Shafi'i, who knew that al-Imam al-Azam was alive in his grave and avoided acting unconformably to his madhhab. Righteously, these great imams (rahimahumu'llahu ta'ala) were the specialists of fiqh. They enjoyed the glad tiding expressed in this hadith ash-Sharif related by al-Bukhari: [Imam Muhammad al-Bukhari was the leader of the 'ulama' of hadith and passed away in Samarqand in 256 A.H. (870 A.D.).] 'If Allah wants to do favors for a man, He makes a faqih of him.'

"In summary, the rules of Islam should be learned from the 'ulama' of fiqh or from the mujtahids of one's madhhab. One should not learn them from hadiths or tafsirs. The hadith ash-Sharif, 'Each person has been created to do a [certain] work,' is the document of our words. The 'ulama' of the hadith ash-Sharif were created to study the hadiths and to select the sahih ones, and the 'ulama' of tafsir to understand correctly and communicate the meanings in the Qur'an al-karim; all of them worked hard to carry out their duties and attained their goals. And the 'ulama' of fiqh were created to draw rules from the nasses of the Qur'an al-karim and the Hadith ash-Sharif. These great 'ulama' (rahimahum-Allahu ta'ala), too, attained the zenith of knowledge and made the job of the ignoramuses like us easier. With the help of their profound knowledge and taqwa, given by Allahu ta'ala, they made those nasses that seemed unconformable agree with each other and separated those muhkam from those muawwal, those earlier from those later, and those nasikh from those mansukh. Therefore, the whole of this blessed umma all over the world has united in following these great imams and believed that being in their footsteps was the key to the Ah'kam al-Islamiyya (Rules of Islam). All 'alims, fadils (those virtuously superior of their time), sulaha', the muttaqi (Allah-fearing), walis, qutbs, awtad, and all those who have been on the way of Allahu ta'ala and loved Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) have submitted themselves to these leaders of the Ah'kam al-Islamiyya. The collection of the writings of the 'ulama' of hadith, of the specialists of tafsir and of the great mujtahid imams of fiqh made up the Islamiyyat al-Muhammadi. It is wajib for us, the ignorant and non-gifted, to follow these great 'ulama' of Islam. The only way to salvation is the way shown by these imams. Only those who follow this way will attain salvation. Those who obey the people who, obeying the nafs, draw meaning from the Qur'an al-karim and the Hadith ash-Sharif according to their own understanding will suffer calamity. The 90th ayat of Surat al-Anam declares, 'Allah guided them [to the right path], so follow their guidance.' Those who were granted guidance are not the la-madhhabi, but those great imams who were the founders of madhhabs (rahimahum-Allahu ta'ala).

"Question: 'I believe now that the Ulu 'l-amr whom we are ordered to obey are the mujtahid imams, that the 'ulama' who are called ahl adh-dhikr, too, were them, and that it is wajib to follow them. How is it understood whether one should follow a certain one of them or all of them? Isn't it sufficient for any act to suit any one of the four?'

"Answer: Because on many points the ijtihads of the four imams disagree, it is not possible to follow two, three or four imams at the same time. An affair regarded as wajib by one was regarded as haram by another. For example, the bleeding of the skin breaks an ablution according to al-Imam al-Azam, while it does not do so according to al-Imam ash-Shafi'i. Al-Imam ash-Shafi'i said that if a man touched a woman's skin, both of them would lose their ablutions, while al-Imam al-Azam said they would not. Similar cases of disagreement exist also between Imam Malik and Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal. If one follows, let us say, al-Imam al-Azam in such a controversial affair, he will not have followed the other. If he acts conformably to other imams, he will have not followed al-Imam al-Azam in this affair (rahmat-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihim ajmain). It is impossible to act in agreement with all four of the imams in such an affair; there are also many cases which prevent one from acting in agreement with three or even two imams at the same time. Such [controversial] affairs should be done by following only one imam. [The rest of the answer is given in that of the next question.]

"Question: 'If we do some affairs according to one imam, some other affairs according to another imam, some others according to a third imam, and the remaining according to the fourth imam, we will be in accord with all the four imams. Isn't this correct?'

"Answer: Such behavior is an act of making fun of Islam. It causes the disappearance of halal and haram, which is prohibited, a haram. A hadith ash-Sharif written in [the Sahih of] Muslim declares: 'A hypocrite is like a ewe between two rams. She shuttles back and forth between the two.' Another hadith ash-Sharif written in [the Sahih of] al-Bukhari, declares: 'The wicked human beings are those who are two-faced. They display one face to some and another face to others.' These are the people referred to in the 38th ayat al-karima of Surat at-Tawba, which declares: 'Nasi (postponement of a sacred month) causes excessive disbelief by which disbelievers are misled. They allow a month one year and forbid it another year.' [Allahu ta'ala has forbidden some actions before Islam, like war and killing human beings, in some certain months. Disbelievers used to forbid such actions in some months of one year but, in an another year, allow them in those months and forbid them in other months. In other words, they took what Allahu ta'ala had forbidden (haram) as permitted (halal) and what Allahu ta'ala had permitted as forbidden. Allahu ta'ala declares in the ayat that such unbelievers were in excessive disbelief and that they, by doing so, deceived themselves. Those who, saying that an action is halal in a madhhab while being haram in another, attempt to change the rules of Islam to suit their desires are like these unbelievers.]

"It is written in the book Tahrir al-usul by Ibn al-Human, in Mukhtasar al-usul by 'Uthman ibn al-Hajib al-Maliki [who passed away in Alexandria in 646 A.H. (1248) and in the book Durr al-Mukhtar that it is prohibited, by an unanimous declaration, to give up following a madhhab while continuing to do an affair and the related affairs started according to that madhhab. And the book Bahr ar-ra'iq says: 'It is wajib for the one who follows al-Imam al-Azam to adapt himself always to the Hanafi madhhab. Unless there is a darura (strong necessity or compulsion), he is not permitted to do an affair according to another madhhab. As said by the great alim Qasim [ibn Katlubugha al-Misri al-Hanafi, who passed away in 879 A.H. (1474)], it is unanimous that one is not permitted to quit the madhhab he has been following.' In the book Musallam as-subut [by Muhibbullah al-Bihari al-Hindi al-Hanafi, who passed away in 1119 A.H. (1707)] it is written: 'One who is not a mujtahid mutlaq [that is, an imam al-madhhab] must follow a mujtahid mutlaq even if he himself is an alim.'

"Imam 'Abd al-Wahhab ash-Sharani wrote on the 24th page of his work Al-mizan: 't is wajib for an alim who has not attained to 'ayn al-ula to adapt himself to one of the four madhhabs. If he does not, he will deviate from the right path and cause others to go astray.'

"Ibn 'Abidin (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaih) wrote on page 283 of Radd al-Mukhtar: 'The 'ami is not permitted to change his madhhab. He must adapt himself to the madhhab he likes [of the four madhhabs].' 'Ami means non-mujtahid Muslim.

"Shah Wali-Allah ad-Dahlawi (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) wrote in his book Al-'Iqd al-jayyid: 'A person who occupies a religious post but has not reached the degree of employing ijtihad is not permitted to practice according to what he himself understands of a Hadith ash-Sharif, for, he cannot distinguish mansukh, muawwal or muhkam hadiths from one another.' The same is written in Mukhtasar by Ibn Hajib. Again Shah Wali-Allah ad-Dahlawi (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) wrote in his work Fuyud al-Haramain: 'The Hanafi madhhab is the most valuable madhhab. The one most suited to the Prophet's Sunnat codified in the Sahih of al-Bukhari is this madhhab.'

"Dana Ganj Bakhsh-i Lahoree (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) wrote in his work Al-kashf al-mahjub that Yahya ibn Muaz ar-Razi (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaih) [who passed away in Nishapur in 258 A.H. (827)] saw Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) in his dream and said, 'Oh Rasul-Allah! Where shall I find you?' whereupon Rasulullah said, 'In Abu Hanifa's madhhab!'

"Ibn Human (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaih) wrote in his book Tahrir: 'It is a unanimity that one is not permitted to leave the madhhab which he has been following or according to which he has begun to do his affairs.'

"Mawlana 'Abd as-Salam wrote in his commentary to Jawhara: [Abd as-Salam ibn Ibrahim al-Laqani al-Maliki (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala alaih), who passed away in Egypt in 1078 A.H. (1668 A.D.), wrote Ittihaf al-murid as a commentary to his father's Jawharat at-tawhid, which was in poetic form.] 'The one who follows one of the four madhhabs in his 'ibadat and affairs to be done according to ijtihads will have carried them out in conformity with Allahu ta'ala's command.'

"Al-Imam ar-Rabbani Mujaddid al-Alf ath-Thani (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaih) wrote in his book Mabda' wa Ma'ad: 'Allahu ta'ala revealed to this faqir that the congregation's not reciting behind the imam according to the Hanafi madhhab is right.'

"Hadrat Shah 'Abd al-'Aziz ad-Dahlawi (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) [who passed away in Delhi in 1239 A.H. (1823), in the interpretation of the ayat karima, 'Do not ascribe partners unto Allah!' wrote: 'One should obey six kinds of people: mujtahids in the knowledge of Islam, mashayikh at-turuq al-'aliyya...'

"Al-Imam al-Ghazali (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaih) wrote in the subject 'Al-amru bi 'l-maruf' of his work Kimya' as-saada: 'No alim permitted anybody to do any affairs unconformable to the madhhab he follows.'

" 'Abd al-Haqq ad-Dahlawi (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaih) wrote in his book Sifr as-saada: 'The building of the Islamic religion is based on these four pillars [that is, madhhabs]. For the one who has followed one of these ways and opened one of these doors, to move into another way and expect to open another door is an absurd game. He will have upset the coherence of his affairs and deviated from the right path.' Again in the same book is written: 'Following one of the four madhhabs is a consensus of the 'ulama' and the best way for the Muslims of the Last [the present] Age. Religious and worldly order can be maintained in this way. Everyone follows the madhhab of his choice; after following a madhhab for some time, changing to another madhhab undoubtedly shows one's distrust in his former madhhab, and deeds and words get spoilt and put into disorder. The 'ulama' of Islam who came later have agreed on this unanimously. This is the truth of the matter. The benefit is in this.'

"Imam Muhammad al-Kuhistani [al-Hanafi (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala), who passed away in Bukhara in 962 A.H. (1508),] wrote before 'Kitab al-ashriba' in the commentary to Mukhtasar al-wiqaya: 'Those who, like the Mutazila, believed that reality (haqq) was variable [that is, various conflicting ijtihads would be right in the view of Allahu ta'ala,] said that the 'ami was permitted to mix (talfiq) the madhhabs just as he liked. The 'ulama' of Ahl as-Sunnat said that the truth was not variable and, therefore, the 'ami had to follow only one imam. This is dealt with in detail in the book Al-kashf. Searching for and doing the permitted, easy things in all madhhabs is called talfiq. One who does so is a sinner, which is explained explicitly in Ash-Sharh at-Tahawi by Said ibn Masud.'

"Question: 'Should a Muslim, who believes that the talfiq (unification) of madhhabs is to make a game of Islam and admits that it is not permissible to change one's madhhab, say that the madhhab he follows is the right one?'

"Answer: There are documentary reasons for the followers of every madhhab to say so. We will tell in the following the evidences favoring that it is better to follow our madhhab-the Hanafi madhhab:

"Among the four aimmat al-madhahib, al-Imam al-Azam Abu Hanifa Numan ibn Thabit (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaih) [who passed away in Baghdad in 150 A.H. (767) was the one who lived in the time closer to as-Sahabat al-kiram's who were the most learned, the most profound in fiqh, and who possessed wara' the most. Imam 'Abd al-Wahhab ash-Sharani (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaih) [who passed away in Egypt in 973 A.H. (1565)], though he was a Shafi'i, wrote equitably about al-Imam al-Azam: '(One should never speak ill of him, for he was the greatest of the four imams (al-Imam al-Azam), the first madhhab founder, the one whose documents resembled those of Rasulullah (sall-allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) the most and who saw the most the way as-Sahabat al-kiram and the Tabiin lived. Every word of his is based on the Qur'an al-karim and the Hadith ash-Sharif. He never said anything out of his own opinion.' It is an unjustifiable imputation of some scholars of hadith to use the term Ashab ar-ra'y (people of opinion) for this great imam and his disciples for whom the great alim 'Abd al-Wahhab ash-Sharani used the title 'Rabbani alim' and wrote that he had never said anything out of his own opinion. May Allahu ta'ala forgive those who said so.

"Ibn Hajar al-Makki (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala), one of the prominent 'ulama' in the Shafi'i madhhab, wrote a special book telling about al-Imam al-Azam, namely Al-khairat al-hisan fi manaqibi'n-Numan. [Ahmad at-Tahawi al-Hanafi's relevant work 'Uqud al-marjan fi manaqib'l Abi Hanifati'n-Nu'man is also well-known. At-Tahawi passed away in 321 A.H. (933 A.D.).]

"Ibn 'Abidin (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala), one of the Hanafi scholars, wrote in the preface to his work Radd-al-Mukhtar: 'The most apparent evidence showing the greatness of al-Imam al-azam is that his madhhab was the one which spread most widely. Other madhhab imams regarded all his words as documents. The 'Ulama' of his madhhab have issued fatwas based on his words everywhere even after him. Most awliya' attained to perfection by striving in accord with his madhhab. The Muslims of Anatolia, the Balkan Peninsula, India, Pakistan and Turkistan know solely his madhhab. Though the 'Abbasid Dynasty followed the madhhab of their ancestor [Hadrat 'Abbas, a Sahabi], most of the Qadis, judges and 'ulama' of their time were Hanafis. They practiced Islam according to this madhhab for about five hundred years. After them, the Seljuqi and later the Harazmi rulers and the great Ottoman State all followed the Hanafi madhhab.'

"The Great alim Muhammad Tahir as-Siddiqi al-Hanafi [who passed away in 981 A.H. (1573)] wrote in his book Majma' al-bihar fi ghara'ibi 't-tanzil wa lata'ifi 'l-akhbar: 'The evidence indicating that Allahu ta'ala is pleased with al-Imam al-Azam is that He made it easier for his madhhab to spread every place. If there had not been a Divine Effect in this dissemination, the majority of Muslims would not have followed his madhhab.'

"Al-Imam ar-Rabbani Mujaddid al-Alf ath-Thani Ahmad al-Faruqi (qaddas-Allahu sirrahu 'l-'Aziz) wrote in the 55th letter of the second volume of his Persian work Maktubat: 'Al-Imam al-Azam Abu Hanifa resembled [Prophet] 'Isa ('alaihi 's-salam). Because the blessings of wara' and taqwa were granted to him and because he lived up to the Sunnat as-Saniyya; he attained to a very high degree in deducing rules from the nasses and in ijtihad. Some 'ulama' could not appreciate this ability of his, and, because the rules he had found out through ijtihad were very subtle, they thought that he had not obeyed the Book and the Sunnat and called him a man of opinion. Because they could not reach the reality of his knowledge and could not understand what he had understood, they were mistaken as such whereas, al-Imam ash-Shafi'i ('alaihi 'rahma), understanding some of the knowledge he had understood said that all the 'ulama' of fiqh were Abu Hanifa's disciples in fiqh. Muhammad Parisa (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) [who was a great alim and wali of Bukhara and passed away in Medina in 822 A.H. (1419)] wrote in his book fusul-i sitta that, when Hadrat 'Isa ('alaihi 's-salam) descends [in Damascus], his ijtihad and a'mal will be in conformity with al-Imam al-Azam's madhhab. May be this statement points to the resemblance between the Greatest Imam and 'Isa ('alaihi 's-salam):

Most of the 'ulama' and sulaha' [and awliya'] of this umma belonged to the Hanafi madhhab. The la-madhhabi, in many of their books, for example, Al-jarhu ala Abu Hanifa, have maligned such an alim who lived up to his 'ilm, have called his muqallids (followers of his madhhab) 'kafirs' and even wrote insolently: 'He who reads fiqh books becomes a disbeliever.' I wonder what could be the reason for these unfortunate people to attack this great and blessed imam in such a manner? They are not aware that enmity against him means enmity against this umma. Most of what we have written from the beginning of the fourth section of [this book] Al-usul al-arba'a up to here has been extracted from Mawlana Mahbub Ahmad al-Mujaddidi al-Amratsaree's work Al-kitab al-majid fi wujubi 't-taqlid.

"The book Al-musnad al-kabir al-Imam Abu Hanifa was collected in ten sections by Abu 'l-Muayyad Muhammad ibn Mahmud al-Harazmi, who passed away in 665 A.H. (1266). In the first section, akhbar (hadiths) and athar (saying of Sahabis) praising al-imam al-Azam were quoted. He also quotes, in the first section, the hadith ash-Sharif which was related to him by Sadr al-kabir Sharaf ad-din Ahmad ibn Muayyid in Harazm. This hadith ash-Sharif, related on the authority of Abu Huraira (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh), says: 'Among my umma, there will come a man called Abu Hanifa. On the day of Resurrection he will be the light of my umma.' Another hadith ash-Sharif, related through the same chain, says, 'Among my umma, there will come a man. His name will be Numan and he will be called Abu Hanifa. He is the light of my umma.' Again through the same chain, a hadith ash-Sharif was related on the authority of Anas ibn Malik, which says: 'There will come a man after me, named Numan ibn Thabit and called Abu Hanifa. Allahu ta'ala will strengthen His Religion and my sunnat through his hand.' According to a khabar again through the same chain of transmitters, he was reported as saying, 'Let me inform you of a person called Abu Hanifa who will live in Kufa. His heart will be full of knowledge and hikma (wisdom). Towards the end of the world people called Bananiyya will perish because of not appreciating him.' The la-madhhabi oppose these hadiths, saying that, among those who related them, there were people whose authority was not well known. We reply to them that the posterity's not knowing does not prove the early generation to be defective. They might say that these hadiths do not exist in the Kutub as-sitta (the 'Six Books' of the Hadith as-Sharif); however, the number of hadiths is not limited to those in the Six Books. It has been unanimously reported [by 'ulama'] that there are many sahih hadiths in other books of hadith, too. In the hadith ash-Sharif written in at-Tirmidhi on the authority of Abu Huraira, it is declared, 'If iman goes to the planet Venus, a man of Faris (Persian) descent will bring it back.' This reference is certainly to al-Imam al-azam." [Muhammad Hasan Jan as-Sirhindi al-Mujaddidi (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala alaih), Usul al-arba'a fi tardid'l-wahhabiyya, Persian text published in India in 1346 A.H. (1928 A.D.)and reprinted in Istanbul in 1975. Hasan Jan passed away in Hyderabad, Pakistan, in 1349 A.H. (1931).]

A hadith ash-Sharif related by Hakim on the authority of 'Abdullah ibn Masud and quoted in Durr al-mansur by Imam 'Abd ar-Rahman as-Suyuti (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaih) [who passed away in Egypt in 911 A.H. (1505)] declares, "Each of the books that descended before [the Qur'an al-karim] was composed of one kind of harf or word and each communicated only one thing. The Qur'an al-karim descended in seven harfs communicating seven things: zajr (restraint), amr (order), halal, haram, muhkam (clearly stated), mutashabih (with hidden meanings), and mithal (example, historical reports). Of these, know halal as halal! Know haram as haram! Do what is ordered! Do away with what is prohibited! Take warning from mithals! Obey the muhkam! Believe in the mutashabih! Say, 'We believe all of them. Our Rabb has revealed them all!' " [This hadith sharif is quoted also on page 406 of the Wahhabite book.] 'Allama Muhammad Hamid, the Khatib and mudarris at he Sultan mosque in Hama, Syria, writes about the Hanafi madhhab in detail and proves that it is wajib to follow one of the four madhhabs in his work Luzumu ittiba-i madhahibi 'l-aimma, which was published in 1388 A.H. (1968) and reprinted in Istanbul in 1984.

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EXPECTING FROM THE DEAD OR LIVING BEING

22 - It is written on page 414 of the la-madhhabi book:

"It is grave polytheism to pray to anyone other than Allah, to ask anyone other than Him for help to relieve him of troubles, to expect what one needs from anyone other than Him, to esteem graves as great, to deify or to build domes over them, to perform salat at tombs, to worship those buried in graves, or to want anything from the dead by heart or in words or by worshiping. All these will cause one to stay in Hell forever. Those who do not fear to lie while swearing by Allah's Name do fear to lie when they swear by Ahmad al-Badawi's name, which shows that they esteem him more than they do Allah and know him as more powerful."

The author of this book confuses the right with the wrong. He wants to burn the innocent with the guilty. It is polytheism and disbelief, of course, to expect anything from any dead or living person other than Allahu ta'ala or to swear by somebody else's name whether it be a lie or truth. But, by showing the unbecoming actions of a few people to claim that visiting graves, performing salat at tombs for Allah's sake towards the Kaba while intending its thawab for the dead and making mediators of Allahu ta'ala's beloved servants for Allah's creating are polytheism and to destroy tombs and graves for this reason are slanderous actions against Islam and Muslims. He who says "kafir" for a Muslim becomes a kafir himself if he says so out of enmity and obstinacy. If he says do depending on his misinterpretation (tawil) of ambiguous nasses, he, though does not become a disbeliever, becomes a man of bidat. The above quotation from his book is similar to the argument: "There is much theft in mosques. And some people go to mosques to make propaganda. la-madhhabism. Some others go there to calumniate and report about preachers or to curry favor or for ostentation. Therefore, mosques should be demolished." However, mosques are not built to serve such evil causes but to perform salat, to preach and to listen to the Qur'an al-karim in them. Instead of abolishing mosques under the pretext of such evil misuse, it is necessary to prevent such evil people from entering mosques and penetrating into the society of good people. It indicates enmity against Islam to say, on the pretext of preventing evil heretics, that the pure Muslims of the Ahl as-Sunnat are polytheists and to commit disrespect towards the tombs of Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam), the awliya' and 'ulama' (rahimahum-Allahu ta'ala).

The great alim 'Abd al-Ghani an-Nabulusi (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) wrote:

"Al-adillat ash-Shariyya (the sources of Islamic knowledge) are four: the Book, the Sunnat, qiyas and ijma'. Qiyas and ijma' were derived from the Book and the Sunnat. Therefore, the main sources of Islamic knowledge are the Book and the Sunnat. Any action or idea taken from elsewhere is a bidat. Bidats, whether of belief, teaching or practice, are all heretical and lead man to disasters. For example, some people who claim to be men of tasawwuf or Tariqa commit a munkar (something inconsistent with the knowledge of ijma') and then say, 'We know the hidden, spiritual knowledge. This action is halal for us. You learn from books, but we speak with Muhammad ('alaihi 's-salam) and understand the truth. And if we do not trust his words, we ask Allah and learn the truth from Him. Our shaikh's help makes us attain the ma'reefat-Allah (Divine Knowledge). We do not need to learn anything from a book or a master. To attain the knowledge about Allah, it is not necessary to read a book nor to go to school. If our way were corrupt, none of the spiritual light, prophets or souls would have shown themselves to us. When we make a mistake or commit a haram, we are informed of it and corrected in our dreams. Things considered bad by the men of knowledge were said not to be bad in our dreams. We do them because we know them to be good.'

"Men who utter such nonsensical words are zindiqs and heretics who ridicule Islam and insult and distrust the Qur'an al-karim and Hadith ash-Sharif, and who allude that there are mistakes or inadequate teachings in the Qur'an al-karim and Hadith ash-Sharif. We should not believe such hypocritical words.

"The 'ulama' of Ahl as-Sunnat (rahimahum-Allahu ta'ala) declared that the ah'kam (religious rules) could not be determined through ilham (inspiration). In other words, knowledge revealed to the hearts of awliya' (rahimahum-Allahu ta'ala) by Allahu ta'ala cannot be documents for halals or harams. The ilham to Rasulullah's (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) blessed heart, however, is a document for every Muslim and must be obeyed by every Muslim. If a wali's ilham is in agreement with Islam, it can be a document only for him, but not for other Muslims. Ilham is helpful in comprehending the meaning of the Book and the Sunnat, and it is inspired to the pious (salih) believers. What dawns upon the hearts of holders of bidat and heresy is Satan's waswasa. Knowledge that occurs to the heart is called "al-'ilm al-ladunni," which may be either heavenly or satanic. The former kind is called ilham and the latter is waswasa. Ilham is concordant with the Book and the Sunnat, while waswasa does not. A dream, too, is either heavenly or satanic. Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) practiced according to his dreams for six months before he was informed of his prophethood. Al-Junaid al-Baghdadi, one of the leading men of tasawwuf and a high wali (rahimahum-Allahu ta'ala), declared, 'The only way that leads men to Allahu ta'ala's love is Muhammad's ('alaihi 's-salam) way. Other religions, sects or ways and others' dreams are all blind alleys that do not take men to bliss. Anyone who has not learned the rules in the Qur'an al-karim and does not obey the Hadith ash-Sharif is ignorant and negligent. Such people should not be obeyed. Our knowledge and madhhab are based on the Book and the Sunnat.' Muhyiddin ibn al-'Arabi (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) [who passed away in Damascus in 638 A.H. (1240)] declared, 'A wali makes progress and his ilhams increases as he lives up to Islam. Yet the ilhams of wali cannot surpass the Book or the Sunnat.' Sirri as-Saqati (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) said, 'There are three meanings of tasawwuf. In the first one, the sufi's marifa about Allahu ta'ala in his heart does not extinguish the light of his wara'. By means of the light of the marifa in his heart, [on the one hand,] he comprehends the truth and essence of substances and of their energies and attains the tajalis of Allahu ta'ala's Names and Attributes; by means of the light of wara' of his body, [on the other hand,] he understands the subtle knowledge of Islam. His actions are always consistent with the rules of Islam. In the second meaning, the sufi's heart bears no knowledge in disagreement with the Book and the Sunnat. The existence of disagreement can be distinguished only by the 'ulama' of profound learning in Zahiri (exterior) and batini (interior, hidden) knowledge, who are able to understand the words used by the superiors of tasawwuf. In the third meaning of tasawwuf, the sufi's karamat do not contradict any teaching of Islam. Things discordant with the rules of Islam are not called karamat, but istidraj.'

"Not every learned man can understand whether the words and deeds of awliya' are in accordance with the rules of Islam or not; for this, it is necessary to know the teaching of tasawwuf thoroughly and have a good knowledge of the words of the great men of tasawwuf. For example, Bayazid al-Bastami (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) [who passed away in Bistan on the southern coast, of the Caspian sea in 261 A.H. (875)] said, 'Subhani ma azama shani,' which may be interpreted by those who have only Zahiri knowledge as, 'I am free of the imperfections creatures have; my honor is very great.' However, Muhyiddin ibn al-'Arabi (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) commented on this statement that it expressed in the best sense that Allahu ta'ala is the Greatest and can never be imperfect. He said: 'This is a tanzih (glorifying Allahu ta'ala, saying that He is free of any unworthy thing) of a higher grade. In other words, he saw that he was incapable of glorifying Allahu ta'ala properly. As Allahu ta'ala manifested (tajalli) in a complete munazzah (free from any unworthy thing) state, there also occurred those tajallis concordant with the tanzih and tasbih (glorifying Allah) he did to the extent of his ability and power. He regarded his tasbih of these manifestations as tasbih of his own ability and said he glorified himself (subhani). Then, seeing the tajallis concordant with the tanzih of other people and concluding that their tasbih was inferior and that his own tasbih was more suitable, he said his ability was great.' As it is seen, he wanted to explain something which was in agreement with Islam in this statement. Because he was in a state of sakr, he could not find some other expression for this subtle knowledge and said it in those words, which the ordinary man cannot understand. This great wali, again, took his students to visit a wali in the town of Bistam. He saw that the wali, whose zuhd and taqwa was the subject of conversation in those days, spit in the direction of the qibla. Thereupon, he did not greet him and went away. 'This man did not care for one of the adabs necessary for having respect towards Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam), so he could not observe the adabs necessary for being a wali, either,' he said. Being immodest towards the qibla is a misbehavior. The 'ulama' of Ahl as-Sunnat declared that it was makruh to stretch out one's legs towards the qibla when lying down or sitting. Allahu ta'ala ordered us to visit the Kaba and to be clean during the visit. Muhyiddin ibn al-'Arabi (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) declared, 'A person who says that his prayers are accepted is not to be believed if he fails to observe one of the adabs of Islam, even if many karamat occur on him.' Bayazid al-Bastami (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) declared, 'If somebody says he is a wali, do not believe him before having a look at his performance of 'ibadat, abstention from harams and obedience to Islam, even if he sits in the air.' [Today, one should scrutinize, in these respects, the present-day writers of books on the religion. One should not read the books written by those who do not obey Islam.]

" 'Abd ar-Ra'uf al-Manwawi (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) [who passed away in Egypt in 1031 A.H. (1621)] wrote in his commentary on Al-jami' as-saghir, 'The 'ulama' unanimously have reported that it is not permissible for the awam, that is, those who are not mujtahids, to follow [directly the ijtihads of] as-Sahabat al-kiram. Imam Abu Bakr ar-Rdadi (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) reported this unanimity. It is permissible for the mujtahid to follow ijtihads other than those of the four madhhabs. But he has to observe all of the related conditions in the act he does by following.' Abu Sulaiman ad-Darani (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) [who passed away in Damascus in 205 A.H. (8210)] declared, 'Many a time thoughts occur to my heart. I accept them only if I find them to be in agreement with the Book and the Sunnat.' Dhu 'n-Nun al-Misri (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) [who passed away in 245 A.H. (860)] said, 'The sign of love for Allahu ta'ala is to follow His beloved Prophet, Muhammad ('alaihi 's-salam), in all morals and deeds.' " [Summarized from (page 153 and on) Abd al-Ghani an-Nabulusi's Al-hadiqat an-nadiyya, Istanbul, 1290.]

'Abd al-Ghani an-Nabulusi quotes al-Imam al-Qastalani as writing in Al-mawahib al-ladunniyya, "Love for Allahu ta'ala is of two types: fard and non-fard. With the fard love, one obeys His orders, abstains from prohibitions and resigns oneself to His qada' and qadar. Committing harams and not performing fards are indications of slackness in this love. The non-fard love makes one perform nafila (the supererogatory) and abstain from mushtabihat. A hadith qudsi reported by Al-Bukhari on the authority of Abu Huraira (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh) says, 'Allahu ta'ala declared, "My human servants cannot approach Me through anything as close as they approach Me through the fard. If My human creatures do the supererogatory 'ibadat, I like them so much that they hear with Me, see with Me, hold everything with Me and walk with Me, and I give them whatever they ask of Me. If they trust in Me, I protect them." ' This hadith ash-Sharif shows that the worship Allahu ta'ala likes most is the fard. The supererogatory 'ibadat mentioned here are those that are to be performed along with the fard and that compensate for the deficiencies in performing the fard. 'Umar ibn 'Ali al-Faqihani [al-Iskandari al-Maliki, who passed away in 734 A.H. (1334),] said, 'This hadith ash-Sharif shows that the one who performs nafila along with the fard gains Allahu ta'ala's love.' Abu Sulaiman Ahmad al-KhattAbi [al-Bustee, who passed away in 388 A.H. (998),] said, 'This hadith ash-Sharif shows that the prayers of those mentioned in the hadith will be accepted.' Those for whom they pray will attain their wishes." [Summarized from (page 182) Abd al-Ghani an-Nabulusi's Al-hadiqat an-nadiyya, Istanbul, 1290. Saying, "It is polytheism to expect prayer and help of awliya and to entreat them for this," indicates disbelieving this hadith sharif.]

'Abd al-Ghani an-Nabulusi (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) continues: "Beginning with [the quotation from] al-Junaid al-Baghdadi up to here, I have quoted from Ar-risaha of the great sufi 'Abd al-Karim al-Qushairi (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala). Study the preceding writings impartially! See how those above-mentioned superiors of tasawwuf and walis had clung to Islam! They always tested their kashfs, karamat, knowledge of heart and inspirations in view of the Book and the Sunnat. Is it appropriate for a Muslim to slander the 'ulama' of Ahl as-Sunnat and the superiors of tasawwuf under the pretext of blaming the vile words of ignorant people who have departed from the way of Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam)? Is he to be believed when he says mushrik for those walis and Muslims who love these men of Allah? The karamat of awliya' are true. The things that Allahu ta'ala grants outside His usual custom [that is, outside the known physical, chemical and physiological laws] to those who have the faith (itiqad) of the Ahl as-Sunnat and are seen to obey Islam are called karamat. A wali does not say that he possesses karamat. Nor does he wish to possess it. The karamat of a wali can be witnessed both when he is alive and when dead. When they die, walis are not deprived of their wilaya just as prophets are not deprived of prophethood after they die. Walis know Allahu ta'ala and His Attributes. The karamat of many walis are narrated in the Qur'an al-karim. [For example,] the karamat witnessed Hadrat Mariam [Miriam, Mary] when she gave birth to 'Isa ('alaihi 's-salam) without a father can be mentioned. Zakariyya ('alaihi 's-salam) would see food in Hadrat Mariam's room whenever he came to her room and, knowing that no one other than him would go in her room, would ask, 'Where did you get it from?' 'Allahu ta'ala created it,' she would answer. The Qur'an al-karim also relates the karamat of Ashab al-khaf who had stayed in a cave without eating and drinking for years. Asaf ibn Barkhiya's taking the throne of Belqis [the Queen of Sheba] to Sulaiman ('alaihi 's-salam) is also reported in the Qur'an al- Karim. Thousands of the karamat of as-Sahabat al-kiram and the Tabiin have been reported in books and spread from mouth to mouth. One should wonder why some people do not believe karamat. The reason is obvious: no karamat has ever occurred on them, nor have they ever heard that such things have been seen to occur on their masters and those whom they highly esteem. When he was asked about karama, Imam [Najm ad-din 'Umar] an-Nasafi [(rahimah-Allahu ta'ala), who passed away in Samarkand in 537 A.H. (1143)] said, 'According to Ahl as-Sunnat, it is jaiz that Allahu ta'ala, changing His custom, may offer endowment to His awliya', that is, His beloved servants.' This is written at the end of the subject on 'murtad' in Ibn 'Abidin's Radd al-mukhtar.

"It is written also at the end of the chapter about Thubat an-nasab in Ibn 'Abidin's work that some awliya' traveled long distances in a short time. As a matter of fact, this became the subject of masalas (matters) in books of fiqh in the Shafi'i and Hanafi madhhabs. Ibn Hajar al-Haitami [(rahimah-Allahu ta'ala), who passed away in Mecca in 974 A.H. (1567)] wrote in his Fatawa, 'The number of those who said that if a wali goes to a very distant place in the west [in a short time] after he has performed the evening salat and if the sun has not set there yet, he need not perform the evening salat for the second time at that place are many.' Shams ad-din Muhammad ar-Ramli [(rahimah-Allahu ta'ala), d. 1004 A.H. (1596)-] said that he should perform it. It has also been often seen that food, drink or clothing have come about when needed. Books of history record that Jafar Tayyar (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh), Rasulullah's (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) cousin, flew in the air. It is also widely known that Luqman as-Sarahsi and many others flew. Extraordinary events such as walking on water, talking with trees, stones and animals have been seen many times, too. Such an event, created by Allahu ta'ala outside His usual custom and laws, is called a mujiza when it occurs to a prophet. Allahu ta'ala bestows mujizas upon prophets ('alaihimu 's-salawatu wa 't-taslimat) even after they die. Likewise, He grants karamat to walis after their death, too. No wali can ever reach the status of a prophet. A wali, no matter how high his status may be, has to obey Allahu ta'ala's orders and prohibitions.

"The highest of awliya' is Hadrat Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh). The highest after him is Hadrat 'Umar al-Faruq (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh). There were thirty-nine Muslims before he embraced Islam. They used to perform 'ibada secretly. When he became Muslim, he said, 'From now on, we shall not perform 'ibada secretly.' The first Muslim who performed 'ibada publicly was 'Umar (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh). The highest wali after these two is Hadrat 'Uthman Dhi 'n-Nurain (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh). He was honored with the name 'Dhi 'n-Nurain' (Possessor of Two Lights) for he married, one after the other, Rasulullah's (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) two daughters, Ruqiyya and Umm Ghulsum (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anhunna). Rasulullah (sallAllahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) declared, "If I had a third unmarried daughter, I would marry her to 'Uthman, again," after Umm Ghulsum died. The next highest wali is Hadrat 'Ali Al-Murtada (radiAllahu ta'ala 'anh). Because Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam), when he started for the Ghaza of Tabuk, appointed him as his deputy in Medina to protect his Ahl al-Bait and said, 'You are related to me like Harun was to Musa, with the only difference that there will not be any prophet to come after me,' he was called 'Murtada.' The caliphate of these four had been in the order of their superiorities. The highest awliya' after them are all the other Sahabis (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anhum ajmain). Our hearts and tongues have to be respectful and good towards them when mentioning their names and talking about the wars between them. The cause of the wars between them was the difference of their ijtihads. They deserved thawab or such deeds of theirs, too. Those who were mistaken were given one thawab, and two thawabs were given to those who were right. Rasulullah said that the ten persons called al-'Asharat al-mubashshara would go to Paradise. They were the Four Caliphs, Talha, Zubair, Sad ibn Abi Waqqas, Said ibn Zaid, Abu 'Ubaida ibn Jarrah and 'Abd ar-Rahman ibn Awf. We believe that Hadrat Fatima az-Zahra, Rasulullah's blessed daughter, her two sons, Hadrat Hasan and Hadrat Husain, Khadijat al-kubra and 'Aisha as-Siddiqa (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anhum ajmain) are the people of Paradise, too. We cannot mention anybody else's name as someone who will certainly go to Paradise. We may have a fairly certain opinion (zann) that the 'ulama' and awliya' will go to Paradise, but we cannot say it as a certainty. The highest awliya' after as-Sahabat al-kiram are the superiors of the Tabiin, after whom comes the superiors of Taba' at-Tabiin (ridwan-Allahi ta'ala 'alaihim ajmain)." [Extended summary from Al-hadiqa.]

The la-madhhabi author says,

"There are ten things that cause one to love Allahu ta'ala. The ninth thing is to be together with the people who love Allah, to collect the sweet fruits uttered by them, and to talk only when necessary in their presence. The stages of love may be traversed one after the other by clinging to these ten causes. And the Beloved may be approached."

We believe so, too. We love the superiors of tasawwuf for this reason. It is for this that we gather in crowds around walis whom Allahu ta'ala loves. We praise them because of this. We do not understand the reason why he regards the Muslims who do so as polytheists.

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AHL AS-SUNNAH & QASIDAT AL-BURDA

23 - The la-madhhabi author writes on page 415:

"Qasidat al-Burda is a work of great ignorance. It says that it is only through the Prophet's protection that one can attain salvation. This eulogy is in contradiction with the Book and the Sunnat. People deem it as higher than the Qur'an."

In the foreword to his book, he says:

"Sa'ud's grandson, 'Abd al-'Aziz, revived the tawhid. He brought peace and law to the Arabian Peninsula. And his son Sa'ud invigorated the way of his ancestors. He reopened the path of the Khulafa' ar-Rashidin."

He prays for the swords of the sons of Sa'ud to be sharper. It is not a guilt, in his opinion, to lie saying, "invigorated... reopened the path," about Sa'ud so that he may praise and ask help from that dissolute, vile drunkard, who led a life in dissipation, drinking bouts and fornication parties for years with hundreds of concubines and Greek girls in the most luxurious hotels in Athens, Greece, extravagantly throwing away thousands of gold coins from Muslims to non-believers, and who died in sensuality, enjoyment and drinking revelries. However, again in his view, it is a guilt and polytheism for al-Imam al-Busayri (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) to eulogize Allahu ta'ala's beloved Prophet (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam), to regard the exalted Prophet as the highest of creatures, and to ask for help and intercession of that highest Prophet, who has been honored with the good news, "I will grant whatever you wish!" He shamelessly markets such writings of his under the name of religious book for Muslims. He is not ashamed of calling the Islamic 'ulama', the apples of the eyes of Muslims, "polytheists and heretics" so that he may deceive the youth and make them la-madhhabi. What will he say about the hadiths [Quoted by al-Imam ar-Rabbani (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) in Maktubat, I, 44th letter (Endless Bliss, I, p. 142). For Qasidat al-Burda, see above, the 13th chapter, p.38.] in which Rasulullah explained his own high status? Will he commit the insolence of smearing the dirt of his pen on that honorable Prophet (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) because he has declared that he was the leader of prophets and the highest of human beings of all times?

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THE DECEASED & THE ABSENTEE

24 - On the 416th page of his book he writes:

"Although Ibrahim an-Naha'i said that it was permissible to say, 'I trust in Allahu ta'ala and then in you,' this word is to be spoken to the one who is alive and present and who has the power of doing something and thus is causative. The dead do not feel or hear, neither are they able to help nor do harm. It is not suitable to speak in this way to the dead and the persons who are absent. It is not permissible to be bound to the dead in any way. This is explicitly stated in the Qur'an. Asking the dead for something or esteeming them by saying anything, or being bound to them by heart or by any deed, comes to mean to deify them, to take them as persons to be worshiped, and to make them gods."

With these nonsensical statements, he calumniates the Qur'an al-karim, too. The 'ulama' of Islam have answered these heretical writings with ayats and hadiths and have proved that the la-madhhabi have mistaken and have been dragging the youth to disasters by deceiving them. For example, Sayyid Dawud ibn Sulaiman (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) wrote an invaluable book in Arabic, namely Al-minhat al-wahbiyya fi raddi 'l-Wahhabiyya. [First published in Bombay in 1305 A.H. A photostatic edition was produced in Istanbul in 1389 (1969); second impression in 1973 in Istanbul. The author, Sayyid Dawud ibn Sulaiman (born in Baghdad in 1222, died in Baghdad in 1299 A.H./1881), was the Khalifa of the profound alim and great wali of karamat Mawlana Diya ad-din Khalid al-Baghdadi (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala). For his biography see the entry 'Khalidi' in the dictionary Al-munjid.] This chapter is devoted to the following long translation from his work:

Nowadays, the number of those who depart from the itiqad (belief) and madhhabs of Ahl as-Sunnat has been increasing. These heretics call Muhammad's ('alaihi 's-salam) umma "mushriks." They say that they should kill this blessed umma and seize their possessions; thus, they topple down into disaster. By Allahu ta'ala's help, I have intended to refute the heretics with this booklet of mine and to prove the corruptness of their arguments. They might read, and perhaps understand that they are mistaken, and attain salvation. And I will have done a great service.

The la-madhhabi do not believe that one may make a request to Allahu ta'ala through the mediation and intercession of prophets ('alaihimu 's-salawatu wa 't-taslimat) and His pious awliya' (rahimahum-Allahu ta'ala), and that one may ask them to relieve him of troubles by using the power Allahu ta'ala has given them as a karamat, and that one may visit their graves and ask them to intercede for him so that Allahu ta'ala may give him his wish or relieve him of troubles. To them, men do not hear or see after death; they become soil. They say that there is no such thing as grave-life. They do not believe that the dead can be recourses in some way as the living people are made mediators for attaining something in this world. They would not make such a denial if they believed that the dead are alive with a kind of life called the life-in-the-grave, that is, being alive with this life, they know, hear, see and recognize visitors and answer the ones who greet them, that they visit one another, that they are in blessings or tortures, that favors or tortures come both to the soul and to the body, that they are informed of the deeds of the living people they knew when they were alive, that they thank Allahu ta'ala, give good news to one another and pray for those who do good deeds when they are informed of the good deeds of the living people, and that they pray saying, "Oh my Allah! May You make them do good deeds! May You grant them salvation as You have granted to us," when they hear about their bad deeds. Because, death is migration from one house to another. The Qur'an al-karim, the Hadith ash-Sharif and ijma' al-Umma teach these facts. He who does not believe in these will have not believed in the things which are wajib to be believed and, therefore, will become a man of bidat, departing from Rasulullah's (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) sunnat. Because it is one of the six principles of iman that men will rise alive from their graves on the Day of Resurrection to gather at the place of Mahshar, anyone who does not believe this becomes a kafir. Disbelief in the fact that the dead live in the grave and feel the favors and punishments, by unanimity of the al-Ummat al-Muhammadiyya, is a disbelief in the Minor Resurrection which is an example of the Resurrection.

The ignoramuses who do not believe in the torture in the grave say:

"Bodies rot and organs disappear in graves. They do not hear nor see. There is neither torture nor blessing for the body."

We say to them, "You, too, believe that the soul does not die. Therefore, you should believe that the soul feels, hears and sees, too. Hence, you should not oppose Muslims' expecting souls to be mediators by asking them for intercession and help for Allahu ta'ala to create. Because, all religions preach that the soul remains alive after death. You should not deny that living souls can be intermediaries or causes for Allahu ta'ala's creating, while you believe that living men can be." Because they have not been able to think on this subject open-mindedly, they say, "No help can be expected from the dead. He who awaits help from the souls of Allahu ta'ala's beloved servants and asks for their intercession for His creating of something becomes a disbeliever, a polytheist." [Ahizada Abdulhalim ibn Muhammad (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala), one of the distinguished 'ulama' who matured in the Ottoman State, proved with documents in his work As-sadat fi ithbati'l-karamati li'l-awliyai hala'l-hayat wa bada'l mamat that Allahu ta'ala gave karamat to awliya and that their karamat continued also after their death. He passed away in 1013 A.H. (1604). His commentary on Al-Marghinani's Al-Hidaya, supplement to Ashbah and annotations to Durar and Ghurar are very valuable. Sa'd ad-din at-Taftazani (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala), who passed away in Samarqand in 972 A.H. (1389), wrote in detail the karamat of awliya in his commentary to Al-aqaid an-Nasafiyya. Many 'ulama' wrote annotations to his commentary. One of them is the Arabic, Nabras, by Abd al-Aziz al-Farhari (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala) of India, who passed away there in 1239 A.H. (1824). And a very invaluable annotation of the latter is written by Muhammad Barhurdar al-Multani (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala), who said on page 476: "The strongest evidence which proves the soundness of karama is that karamat occurred on most of the Sahabat al-kiram. Dala'il an-nubuwwa by Imam Jafar al-Mustaghfiri an-Nasafi (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala), who passed away in 432 A.H. (1041), is one of the many books that report their karamat. Although those in the heretical path of the Mutazila denied karama, the 'ulama' of Ahl as-Sunna have given them detailed answers." It was reported recently that the government of Saudi Arabia has organized a head office of propaganda for the dissemination of Wahhabism all over the world and is spending millions of gold coins for this purpose every year. A few brainless people of bad race who might sell their religion and conscience play the broker's part for la-madhhabism, poison the youth and lead them to disasters for the sake of money. And there are many who do the same becasue they do not know Islam and, being deceived, have fallen into the current of reforming the religion. These ignorant people who introduce themselves as men of religious authority do not even recognize ayats and hadiths. They do not know the words of the as-Sahabat al-kiram and the Tabi'un. They are extremely ignorant. It is a sign of redoubled ignorance for them to think of themselves as 'ulama' after they have learnt a smattering of Arabic. Such people are not willing to read and learn and become men of knowledge. They have dived into sensuality and enjoyment with the money they are given. They have been living unaware of both the religion and worldly knowledge. The unlucky youth think of them to be men of religion and, the worst, to be 'ulama'. These men are those who gnaw and ruin Islam. It will be a great disaster if these so-called 'men of religious authority' come up to be the leaders of Muslims. Such ignoramuses write about images which occur to their empty heads as the teachings of Islam. They have gone astray and will lead others astray. The hadith ash-sharif in al-Bukhari's Sahih foretold that these people would increase.]

In the grave there are blessings or punishment both to the soul and to the body. It is necessary to believe this fact as stated. Imam Muhammad ibn Hasan ash-Shaibani [135-189 A.H. (805)] expressed this in his poem Al-aqa'id ash-Shaibaniyya: "There is torture in the grave. The torture in the grave will be both to the soul and to the body." That is, the blessing or torture will occur to the soul as well as to the body in the grave. Although the living cannot see, it is necessary to believe so. It is necessary to believe in ghaib (secret facts). Disbelief in this fact gives way to disbelief in the 'ba'th,' rising alive from the grave on the Day of Resurrection, because, both will happen by Allahu ta'ala's Power. It is logical for anyone who believes the latter to believe the former. Although men cannot comprehend the torture in the grave when they are alive, ayats and hadiths and the posterity of this umma taught that there is punishment in the grave. Below we shall write at length on this subject and note the hadiths which prove that it is permissible to ask Allahu ta'ala's beloved servants in graves to intercede and to be mediators for Allahu ta'ala's creating. When these documents are read and understood, it will be seen that, contrary to the slanders of the la-madhhabi, the dead do not do anything by themselves, that they are not asked to make anything. The la-madhhabi, seeing the living people move and work, think that the ones who ask them for help or intercession ask these very people to do work. Whereas, asking the living for anything is no more than asking them to be the intermediaries for Allahu ta'ala's creating. Allahu ta'ala is the only One who creates and makes everything. All the living and the dead, the living and nonliving things are the vehicles for His creating. He Himself has wished creatures to be causes or vehicles for His creating. He wishes to create many things through some intermediaries so that the world is in order and regular. Nevertheless, He creates many things without any intermediary, too.

Prophets ('alaihimu 's-salawatu wa 't-taslimat) and awliya' (rahimahum-Allahu ta'ala) are alive in their graves with the life called 'life-in-the-grave' that we do not know. They cannot do anything by themselves. Allahu ta'ala grants them sufficient power and value to be mediators. As He loves them, He shows honor to them and offers them favors outside His usual custom. He creates wishes for their sake. They are asked to be mediators for the wishes to be created. It is a lie of the la-madhhabi that Ahl as-Sunnat worship graves and become polytheists. It is slander against Muslims. A few ignorant people or irreligious men, to cheat innocent villagers and obtain worldly advantages, may do bad deeds that are discordant with Islam, and it is obvious that such zindiqs and heretics will spring up when Islamic knowledge and morale fade away in a country. Instead of defending la-madhhabism under such pretexts, it is necessary to correct the corruptions and not be destructive, but constructive. There are some people among Muslims who believe in the life, blessings and tortures in the grave yet disbelieve that prophets and awliya' will be mediators after death for Allahu ta'ala's creating. And there are others who say, "Why are solely the dead asked without considering Allahu ta'ala's creating? Asking for their intercession and attainment of wishes through them are not stated in Islam." Those who say so are not as harmful as those who do not believe in the life in the grave. They say so because they do not know the Qur'an al- Karim or the Hadith ash-Sharif, or just because they are obstinate. Muslims should not be obstinate but readily accept the right word. We shall present our answers in eight parts.

PART ONE. Prophets ('alaihimu 's-salatu wa 's-salam) are alive in their graves. Their being alive is not in the metaphorical sense [but in reality]. It was declared in the Qur'an al-karim: "Never regard those who have been killed in the way of Allah as dead! They are alive in Allah's view. They are nourished." (al 'Imran, 169) This ayat karima explains that martyrs are alive. Martyrs are like other Muslims and have no superiority over others. Prophets are, of course, higher and more superior than martyrs. The 'ulama' of Islam said that every prophet died a martyr, a fact which everybody knows. Although al-Halabi died a martyr, a fact which everybody knows. Although al-Halabi wrote in his book Siyar, "There may be a superiority in the one at a lower degree which may not exist in the one at a higher degree," this statement does not apply to this case, because it states a kind of superiority which is not stated clearly in an ayat karima or a hadith ash-Sharif. Since it is stated in hadiths that prophets are martyrs, al-Halabi's statement cannot be applicable to this case. The hadith ash-Sharif reported by al-Bukhari and Muslim states, "I was made to pass by Musa's ('alaihi 's-salam) grave on the Miraj night. He was performing salat standing up in his grave." It was declared in a hadith ash-Sharif reported by al-Baihaki and many others, "Prophets are alive in their graves. They perform salat." Another hadith ash-Sharif says, "Allahu ta'ala forbade the soil to rot prophets." This fact has been reported by the 'ulama' unanimously. It is written in the Sahihain of al-Bukhari and Muslim: "Allahu ta'ala sent all the prophets to our Prophet on the Miraj night. He became the imam, and they performed two rak'as of salat." The salat includes bowing (ruku') and prostration (sajda). And this shows that they performed salat corporally, with their bodies. Musa's ('alaihi 's-salam) performing salat in his grave also indicates this. It was declared in the hadith ash-Sharif quoted in the book Mishkat [Last volume, section on the Miraj chapter one.] on the authority of Muslim, "Near the Kaba, the disbelievers of the Quraish asked me how the Bait al-muqaddas was. I had not looked at it carefully. I become very stressful. Allahu ta'ala showed me. I saw myself among prophets. Musa ('alaihi 's-salam) was performing salat standing up. He was thin. His hair was not untidy or drooping. He was like a brave young man of the Shan'a tribe [of the Yaman]. 'Isa ('alaihi 's-salam) looked like Urwat ibn Masud as-Saqafi." These hadiths prove that prophets are alive in Allah's audience. Their bodies have become ethereal like their souls. They are not dense or solid. They may become visible in material and spiritual worlds. It is for this reason that prophets can be seen in soul and body. The hadith ash-Sharif explains that Musa and 'Isa ('alaihima 's-Salam) were performing salat, which involves physical actions that are to be done with the body, not with the soul. Muhammad's ('alaihi 's-salam) description of Musa ('alaihi 's-salam) with medium height, lean and thin, and with tidy hair shows that he saw not his soul bot his body. Prophets do not die like other human beings. They emigrate from the transitory world to the everlasting next world. Al-Imam al-Baihaki [d. Nishapur, 458 A.H. (1066)] wrote in his book Itiqad, "Prophets' souls are given back to their bodies after they are put into their graves. We cannot see them. They become invisible like angels. Only the distinguished people to whom Allahu ta'ala has bestowed it as a karama can see them." Al-Imam as-Suyuti said so, too. Also, al-Imam an-Nawawi, Imam Abu 'l-Hasan 'Ali as-Subki [d. Egypt, 756 A.H. (1355)] and al-Imam Muhammad al-Qurtubi [d. 671 A.H. (1272)] relate the same from their masters. Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyya [d. 751 A.H. (1350)], a Hanbali alim, wrote exactly the same in his Kitab ar-ruh. The Shafi'i 'ulama' Ibn Hajar al-Haitami, Shams ad-din Muhammad ar-Ramli [d. 1004 A.H. (1596)] and Qadi Muhammad Zakariyya [d. Egypt, 926 A.H. (1520)]; the Hanafi scholars Akmal ad-din Muhammad al-Babartee [d. 786 A.H. (1384)] and ash-Sharnblali Hasan [d. Egypt, 1069 A.H. (1658)]; the Maliki scholars 'Abdullah Ibn Abi Jamra [d. 675 A.H. (1276)] and his disciple Muhammad ibn al-Haji al-Fasi [d. 737 A.H. (1337)] in his book Madkhal; and Ibrahim al-Laqani [d. 1041 A.H. (1632)] in the book Jawharat at-tawhid, and many other 'ulama' narrated the same. Said ibn Musayyab said, "The adhan and iqama were heard being recited in the al-Hujrat an-Nabawiyya when the adhan could not be called and salat could not be performed in Masjid an-Nabi," on the day when the men of Yazid tortured the people of al-Madinat al-munawwara -the 'Harra' event that took place in 61 A.H. Ibn Taymiyya [d. 728 A.H. (1328)], too, quoted this in his book Iqtida' as-sirati 'l-mustaqim. Many people have often heard greeting being answered from the Qabr as-Saada. Answers to greetings have been heard many times from other graves, too. We will deal with this later. It is understood that, according to the unanimity of the 'ulama', prophets are alive in their graves. It was declared in a hadith sahih, "When a person greets me, Allahu ta'ala sends my soul to my body and I hear his greeting." It cannot be said that this hadith ash-Sharif disagrees with the above-mentioned facts; that is, one cannot say that Rasulullah's (sall-Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam) blessed soul has departed from his noble body and is given back to him when he is greeted. The 'ulama' have given various answers to those who said so. Al-Imam as-Suyuti (rahmat-Allahi 'alaih) listed seventeen of these explanations. The finest of them is that Rasulullah is in the ecstasy of seeing Jamal-Allah and forgetful of his bodily senses, and when a Muslim greets him, his blessed soul wakes up from this trance and acquires his bodily senses. Such situations are not scarce in this world, either. One does not hear what people say to him when he is in a deep thought of worldly or heavenly affairs. Can someone who is in the ecstasy of contemplating Jamal-Allah hear any sound?

Can one see Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) when one is asleep or awake? If he can be seen, is it him who is seen, or a vision similar to him? Our 'ulama' have given various answers to these questions. In addition to the unanimity that he is alive in his grave, most of them said that he himself was seen. This is also understood from hadiths. A hadith ash-Sharif declares, "The one who sees me in his dream sees me as he would see me when he is awake." This is why al-Imam an-Nawawi said, "Seeing him in a dream is really seeing him." As a matter of fact, it was declared, "Anyone who has seen me in his dream has seen me truly, for the devil cannot appear in my shape," in a hadith ash-Sharif reported in the book Kunuz ad-daqaiq by al-Imam al-Manawi on the authority of al-Bukhari and Muslim. We would not see him "truly" if we saw his likeness in a dream. In his book Jawharat at-tawhid, Ibrahim al-Laqani wrote, "It has been reported unanimously by the 'ulama' of hadith that Rasulullah can be seen both when one is awake and in one's dreams. However, it is not unanimous whether it is him who is seen or someone else who resembles him. Most of them said that he himself was seen. Al-Imam al-Ghazali and al-Qurafi and several other 'ulama' said that his likeness was seen. The ones who said the Prophet himself was seen are in the majority, including more than thirty imams of hadith and great 'ulama'. I have compiled the documents and proofs of each of them in a separate book.

PART TWO. As for the dead's hearing and seeing, it has been clearly stated in the Qur'an al- Karim that martyrs are alive in their graves. Awliya' hear and see through Allahu ta'ala's benevolence of karama. Allahu ta'ala creates things outside His usual custom and laws for the sake of His beloved servants. In order to silence the ignorant people who do not believe that prophets, especially the highest of them, Muhammad ('alaihi 's-salam), martyrs and awliya' hear and see in their graves, we shall first explain that even dead disbelievers can hear and see. It was declared in a hadith ash-Sharif related by al-Bukhari, "The dead person hear the footsteps of the people walking away after a burial." A hadith ash-Sharif written in [the Sahihain of] al-Bukhari and Muslim narrates that the corpses of the disbelievers who were killed in the Battle of Badr were ordered to be put into a hollow a few days after the battle, and a few days later Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) came, stood by the hollow and said, "Have you attained what your Rabb promised you? I gained the victory my Rabb promised me," addressing each of them by their names and their fathers' names. Thereupon, Hadrat 'Umar (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh) asked, "Oh Rasul-Allah! Are you speaking to the people who have become carcasses?" and Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) answered, "I say by Allah, who has sent me as the true Prophet, that you do not hear me better than they do. But they cannot answer." It was declared in a hadith ash-Sharif related by al-Bukhari and Muslim, "The dead person suffers pain for his relatives' loud crying over his death." Al-Imam an-Nawawi, in his commentary of the Sahih of Muslim, says, "The dead feel pain and are offended by the loud cry of their relatives." Muhammad ibn Jarir at-Tabari [d. Baghdad, 310 A.H. (923)] said so, too. Qadi 'Iyad al-Maliki (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaih) [d. Morocco, 544 A.H. (1150)] said that this was the best interpretation and noted that Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) prevented a woman from crying loudly over her son's death. "Oh Muslims! Do not offend your brothers in graves by crying loudly," he ordered. This hadith ash-Sharif shows that the dead hear and are offended and feel pain for their relatives' crying. Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) declared, "Say 'As-salamu 'alaikum' when you greet the ones in graves." This is why Muslims say, "As-salamu 'alaikum! Ya ahla dari 'l-qawmi 'l-Muminin." Obviously, such a greeting can be said to those who can hear and understand. If they did not hear, it would be a greeting for the nonexistent or stones. The Salaf, that is, the great 'ulama' of Islam, unanimously said that this is the way the dead should be greeted.

PART THREE. The dead recognize the people who visit them. Abu Bakr 'Abdullah ibn Abi 'd-dunya [d. Baghdad, 261 A.H. (894)] wrote in Kitab al-qubur: "Hadrat 'Aisha (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anha) reported the Prophet as saying, 'When a person visits the grave of his brother-in-Islam and sits by the grave, he recognizes him and replies to his greeting.' A hadith ash-Sharif narrated by Abu Huraira (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh) declares, 'If anyone visits the grave of an acquaintance of his and greets him, the dead person recognizes him and replies to him. If he greets a dead Muslim whom he does not know, the dead person replies to his greeting.' " Yusuf ibn 'Abd al-Barr [d. Shatiba, 463 A.H. (1071)] and 'Abd al-Haqq, the author of the book Ah'kam, said that this hadith ash-Sharif was sahih. Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyya quoted this hadith ash-Sharif in Kitab ar-ruh and gave many other khabars and added that there were many more khabars to be written in this subject. The word 'ziyara' (visit) was used in the hadith ash-Sharif, which would not have been used if the dead had not recognized the person who came to the grave. In all languages and every dictionary, this word is defined as the meeting of people who know and understand one another. And the word "Salamun 'alaikum" is to be said to persons who will understand it. If a person performs salat near graves, the dead see him and understand that he is performing salat and admire him. Yazid ibn Harun as-Sulami [d. 206 A.H. (821)] narrated, "Ibn Sasab attended a funeral. He performed two rak'as of salat by a grave. Then he leaned against the grave. He swore by Allah that he was awake when he heard a voice from the grave which said, 'Do not hurt me! You worship. But you do not hear. You do not know. We know but cannot move. In my view, there is nothing more valuable than those two rak'as you performed.' The person in the grave had understood that Ibn Sasab performed salat and leaned against the grave." After writing the above event, Ibn al-Qayyim quotes many other khabars reported from as-Sahabat al-kiram proving that the dead heard. The la-madhhabi regard Ibn al-Qaiyyim as a mujtahid and praise him highly but do not believe the above-mentioned writings of his and still claim that those who believe so are polytheists. This behavior of theirs shows not that they respect the 'ulama' of Islam but that they praise them whenever it suits them and that they like none of the 'ulama'.

Hadrat 'Aisha (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anha) said that the disbelievers who were put into the hollow after the Battle of Badr did not hear. This is the reason why some people supposed that the dead, even if they were believers, did not hear in their graves. Some ignorant people said that martyrs, even Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam), would not hear. Those who did not believe that the dead heard were mistaken, because, 'Aisha (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anha) said that only those disbelievers in that hollow did not hear. They though that this hearing was in the sense as used in the twenty-second ayat al-karima of Surat al-Fatir, which says, "You cannot make the dead hear. You cannot make those in graves hear!" However, it was not in this sense; as the great 'ulama' explained, the word 'hear' in the ayat al-karima is used in the sense of 'accepting by hearing' or 'believing.' In such ayats, Allahu ta'ala likens the living disbelievers who have ears, eyes and brains to the dead in graves. This analogy is not in respect of hearing or understanding, but of apathy and stubbornness, that is, unwillingness and disbelieving. Willingness to believe is of no use to the disbeliever when he, in his last illness, begins to see his place in the next world. "Your call to belief to those who are decreed to be evildoers in eternity is of no use to them," Allahu ta'ala declared. Inviting such people to belief is of no use for them just as the belief of the people in graves who believe after they see the things which they should have believed without seeing. Such belief of the dead is not accepted. 'Hearing' in the ayat al-karima is used in the sense of 'accepting.' For example, when one says, "This woman is such that she does not hear any word," he means that she does not pay attention though she hears. In the two ayats which were sent down about disbelievers, 'hear' is in this sense. They are alive and have ears and eyes, but, because Allahu ta'ala made them evil and sealed their hearts, he says to his Prophet, "You cannot make them hear," that is, "They will not believe when you speak to them. They will not accept to believe just as the beliefs of disbelievers in graves are not accepted." It is stated in hadiths that the dead 'hear' -in a sense of hearing through ears. However, in the above-quoted two ayats, 'hear' is used to mean 'accept.' A reasonable person of sound thinking can distinguish between these two meanings of hearing, Allahu ta'ala, after he ayat al-karima, "You cannot make the dead hear," declares, "You can make only those who believe hear," thus informs that believers hear. From this statement, too, it is understood that 'hearing' in this context means 'accepting.' If one says that the statement 'You cannot make the dead hear,' means that they do not hear through ears, then it means that Allahu ta'ala informs that believers in graves hear, [that is, he has to take the second statement in the same sense, too,] and this is what we are trying to say. Since it is clearly stated in the Qur'an al-karim that dead believers to hear, no one can deny it. One has to believe it even if he does not believe the Hadith ash-Sharif which, for all Muslims, is the most sound source after the Qur'an al-karim.

Hadrat 'Aisha (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anha) said that only dead disbelievers did not hear, for, it was declared in a hadith ash-Sharif narrated by her, "When a person visits the grave of his brother-in-Islam and sits by the grave, he recognizes him and replies to his greeting," as we quoted above. This recognition and response of the dead person show that he sees the visitor and hears his greeting. Although 'Aisha (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anha) said that disbelievers did not hear, she said that they were able to know: another hadith ash-Sharif narrated by her states, "They now know that I told the truth." The 'ulama' declared that one could 'know' by 'hearing.' Therefore, there is no disagreement between these two words. Ibn Taymiyya, Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyya, ['Abd ar-Rahman] Ibn Rajab [al-Hanbali (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaih), who passed away in Damascus in 795 A.H. (1393)] and as-Suyuti and many other 'ulama' said that it was as explained above. If 'death' meant 'becoming nonexistent' as some ignorant people say, all the senses of the dead would become nonexistent. The senses do not vanish as it is understood from the hadith ash-Sharif written in the Sahih of al-Bukhari and narrated by Hadrat 'Aisha and which says that the dead do know. In the hadiths narrated by other Sahabis, it is clearly expressed that the dead hear. Hadrat 'Aisha's thought that the word 'hear' meant [only] 'accept and believe' contradicts the consensus of the 'ulama'. The statement best reconciling her words and those of as-Sahabat al-kiram, then, is the hadith ash-Sharif about visiting graves which is also narrated by her.

Ibn al-Human wrote in Fat'h al-Qadir, his annotation of Al-hidaya: "The Hanafi 'ulama', commenting on 'oath,' said, 'The dead do not hear. If one who has sworn not to talk with somebody talks with that same person when the latter is dead, his oath will not be broken.' " However, it was said, "The words of the Hanafi 'ulama' on 'oath' are based on [linguistic] custom. These words do not show that the dead do not hear. The Hanafi 'ulama', in explaining the knowledge about 'oath,' say, 'If one swears not to eat meat but then eats fish, his oath will not be broken.' However, Allahu ta'ala said 'pleasant meat' for fish. But the flesh of fish is different from meat according to custom. Similarly, if a person swears not to talk with someone and talks to him after he dies, his oath will not be broken. Because 'talking' means 'talking face to face' according to custom. A dead person hears, but since he does not talk in a conventional audible way, the two will have not talked with each other according to custom. This is why his oath will not be broken." It does not mean that it is not broken because the dead person did not hear. Ibn al-Humam quoted Hadrat 'Aisha as saying "non-sahih" for the hadith ash-Sharif in which Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) talked to the disbelievers in the Badr hollow and swore that they heard not less than the living. Ibn al-Humam further writes that Hadrat 'Aisha had said that these words could not have been said by Rasulullah after Allahu ta'ala declared, "You cannot make the dead hear. You cannot make those in graves hear." However, this hadith ash-Sharif was related in consensus, so it seems impossible that Hadrat 'Aisha did not believe it. Besides, there is no contradiction between the hadith ash-Sharif and the ayat al-karima. 'The dead' in the ayat al-karima refers to disbelievers, and the negative of 'hear' means 'it is of no use to them' and not that they did not hear. The 171st ayat al-karima of Surat al-Baqara, "They are deaf, dumb, blind; they do not understand," is in this sense, too. That is, they have ears and eyes, but Allahu ta'ala declared that they were like the deaf and blind because they did not hear and see the Prophet as he called them to Islam and to the right path. Al-Imam al-Baidawi, in the interpretation of the Qur'anic verse, "You cannot make the dead hear,..." says, "They are like the ones who obstruct their ears from the right word. Allahu ta'ala bestows salvation of those whom He wishes by making them hear." Allahu ta'ala likens those who are obstinate in disbelieving to the dead. This ayat karima resembles the 56th of Surat al-Qasas: "You cannot lead those whom you love to belief. But Allah makes whomever He wishes attain belief." Ibn al-Humam further asserts: "Making the dead hear is peculiar solely to Rasulullah." To us, however, one must document a deduction that something is peculiar solely to Rasulullah. There is no such document for this. Neither Hadrat 'Umar's question nor the answer given to him allude to such a peculiarity. Although Ibn al-Humam said, "Talking to the dead disbelievers in Badr was like repeating a proverb," the answer to Hadrat 'Umar shows that it was not so. According to Ibn al-Humam, "The hadith ash-Sharif in Muslim's book which states that the dead will hear the footsteps of the people leaving the grave after the burial points to the fact that the dead hear and answer the questions of the angels only during this questioning, and that they will never hear after the questioning. Because, it is understood from the ayat al-karima that the dead do not hear. Allahu ta'ala, to mean that disbelievers did not hear, likened disbelievers to the dead." Our answer is that this argument contradicts itself. Because he who says that the dead hear just after burial should also believe that they always hear. No other alim said that the dead would not hear after the questioning. Moreover, the claim that they would hear for some certain time after burial disagrees also with the ayat al-karima.

According to the unanimity of the 'ulama' of. Ahl as-Sunnat, greeting the buried dead is a sunnat. Great alim 'Abd al-Latif Ibn Malak [d. Tire, Izmir, 801 A.H. (1399)] in his commentary to Masabih, explains the hadith ash-Sharif about greeting the dead and says, "This hadith ash-Sharif proves that those who say the dead cannot hear are mistaken. At the end of the following hadith about the 'fitna and questioning in the grave' which is quoted in the Sunan of Imam Ahmad [d. Baghdad, 241 A.H. (915)] and in that of Abu Dawud [Sulaiman as-Sijistani, d. Basra, 275 A.H. (888)], in Mustadrak by Hakim [Muhammad an-Nishapuri, d. Nishapur, 405 A.H. (1014)], in Al-musannaf by ['Abdullah Ibn Abi Shaiba [d. 235 A.H. (850)], in Adhab al-Qabr by [Abu Bakr Ahmad] al-Baihaki [d. Nishapur, 458 A.H. (1066), in the Musnad by [Abu Dawud Sulaiman] at-Tayalisi [al-Basri, d. 204 A.H. (818)], and in that by [Abu Muhammad] 'Abdu ibn Hamid [al-Kashi, d. 249 A.H. (863)], and in Az-zuhd by Hanad ibn as-Sirri [ad-Darimi, d. Kufa, 243 A.H. (857)] and which was reported with sahih chains listed by [Muhammad] Ibn Jarir [at-Tabari, d. Baghdad, 310 A.H. (923)] and [Abu Bakr Muhammad] Ibn Abi Khatan [an-Nishapuri, d. 320 A.H. (932)] and other 'ulama' on the authority of Bara' ibn 'Azib (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaihim ajmain), Rasulullah ('alaihi 's-salam) said: 'A voice is heard saying "My servant tells the truth" about the dead Muslim. A heavenly covering is spread in the grave. He gets dressed with the clothes of Paradise. A door opens for him to Paradise. The odors of Paradise diffuse into the grave. The grave broadens as vast as he can see. A beautiful-faced, well-dressed figure comes in with pleasing odors. Asks he, "Who are you? Why is your face so auspicious?" and is responded, "I am your pious deeds." Upon hearing this, he says, "Oh my Rabb! May the Resurrection happen soon! Oh my Rabb, may the Resurrection come soon so that I may meet my household and property." ' The opposite -torture happens to dead disbelievers. This hadith ash-Sharif shows that the dead hear and see and speak and smell and understand and think and answer. All these happen after the interrogation in the grave. The 'ulama' unanimously stated it as such. The imams of hadith, such as al-Imam as-Suyuti, said that this hadith was mutawatir, that is, one of the most sound hadiths. This hadith shows that greeting the dead is like greeting living people and that the dead, too, hear."

The book Al-fatawa al-Hindiyya writes, "Al-Imam al-Azam Abu Hanifa was the one who reported that visiting graves was not forbidden. [The Wahhabite book, too, writes that visiting graves is permissible.] It is understood from Imam Muhammad's words that it is permissible also for women to visit graves." It is written in the book Tahzib, "Visiting graves is mustahab. Visiting the dead is like visiting them when they were alive, depending on the degree of relationship." The same is written in the book Khazanat al-Muftin. Shoes are taken off when visiting a grave; the dead person is faced, with one's back to the Kaba, and one says, "As-salamu 'alaikum ya ahl al-qubur! May Allahu ta'ala forgive you and us! You are our ancestors, and we are your descendants!" The book Ghara'ib writes so, too. Surat al-Mulk may be recited, loudly or quietly, in the graveyard. In the section on "the benefits of reciting the Qur'an by graves" of the book Zahira, it is written that other suras may be recited as well. As it is written in the fatwas of Qadi-Khan, he who wishes that the dead be pleased by hearing the Qur'an al-karim should read aloud, and he who has not such an intention can read quietly. Because, Allahu ta'ala hears the Qur'an al-karim however it is recited. The book Bazaziyya says, "It is makruh to pick up the green grass in a graveyard, because all its leaves are busy with tasbih (proclaiming the glory of Allah). These tasbihs help the dead in getting redeemed from torture. The dead feel better with these tasbihs." The same is written in ash-Sharnblali's Imdad al-fitah and in many books of other Hanafi 'ulama'. In view of the fact that the dead hear the tasbih of the grass which cannot be heard by living people, which was declared by such great 'ulama' who had become the authorities to issue fatwas, how can it be claimed that they cannot hear the voice of a man talking to them? Those who said that the dead do not hear probably meant that they did not hear as one hears through the ear in this world. With this measure, the statements made in books of fiqh on the subject of "oath" can be brought into agreement with one another, and also Rasulullah's (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) hadith is believed and thus unanimity among the 'ulama' results. If someone says, "Al-Imam al-Azam Abu Hanifa (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaih), who was a madhhab leader, did not believe this," we answer that this great imam, too, like other madhhab imams, declared, "My madhhab is based on sahih hadiths." In fact, he went so far in obeying Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) that he took the mursal even daif- hadiths as documents in his madhhab. Can it ever be thought of such an imam that he would disobey sahih hadiths? It is understood here once more that a few 'ulama', by saying that the dead do not hear, meant that they do not hear as one hears in this world. Because, it is not permissible for any alim to follow someone else's word leaving a sahih hadith aside.

According to the unanimity of the Hanafi 'ulama', visiting the graves of Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) and his two companions [Abu Bakr and 'Umar (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anhuma)] in his shrine, greeting them and asking for their intercession are sunnat. If the 'ulama' had not believed that Rasulullah and his two companions heard, their words would have disagreed and even they would have contradicted their own declaration that it is sunnat to visit any grave. There is no disagreement left as their remarks on the subject of "oath" are taken to be made for the hearing of living people in this world.

Supplement: Ibn Taymiyya wrote in his book Kitab al-intisar fi 'l-Imam al-Ahmad, "It is not a guilt for Hadrat 'Aisha not to believe that the disbelievers thrown into the hollow in Badr heard Rasulullah, because she had not heard the hadith ash-Sharif. However, it is a guilt for others not to believe, because this hadith ash-Sharif spread so wide that it became one of those Islamic beliefs that must be believed absolutely." These words of Ibn Taymiyya proves that those who will not believe that the unbelievers in the Badr hollow heard will become unbelievers, because it is written in books of all the madhhabs that he who does not believe something which is to be believed absolutely in Islam becomes an unbeliever. Few 'ulama', including Hadrat 'Aisha (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anha), who said that the dead do not hear, in fact meant that dead disbelievers in graves would not hear. But there has not been any alim who has not believed that Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) and the martyrs and awliya' of his umma hear in their graves. Hadrat 'Aisha and others, too, believed this fact. One can imagine how bad and ugly is the assertion of the upstart la-madhhabi and some ignorant people deceived by them that the dead, even including Rasulullah, do not hear. Allahu ta'ala, who is Qahhar (the Subduer), will no doubt punish these ignoramuses and heretics. In his fatwas on "bringing the dead back to life," Ibn Taymiyya asks, "Do the dead recognize the people who visit them? If someone, whom they knew or did not know, comes to their graves, do the dead understand that a visitor came?" and answers: "Yes, they recognize and understand." He further writes the narrations about the dead meeting and asking about one another and about the deeds of living people being shown to them. 'Abdullah Ibn al-Mubarak reported, on the authority of Hadrat Khalid ibn Zaid Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, [Halid ibn Zaid (radi-Allahu ta'ala anh) died of dysentry as one of the soldiers commanded by Sufyan ibn Awf, who besieged Constantinople (Istanbul) in 49 A.H. (670). His shrine at the location called "Eyyub" in Istanbul is magnificient; visitors make tawassul of his soul.] the hadith ash-Sharif which says, "An angel of blessings takes the soul of a believer as he dies. The dead gather around him like those who want to hear good news in this world. They start asking him questions, while a few of them say, 'Leave your brother alone so that he may rest! He comes from a very embarrassing place.' They crowd around him. They ask about their acquaintances in this world. 'What does so and so do?' 'Has so and so gotten married!' they ask."

Allahu ta'ala declares that martyrs are alive and are given provisions (rizq). It is reported in a hadith ash-Sharif that the souls of martyrs have entered Paradise. Although a few 'ulama' said that these blessings were for martyrs only but not for Siddiqs, what our imams and the 'ulama' of Ahl as-Sunnat said is true: being alive, blessings and souls' entering Paradise are not peculiar only to martyrs. They declared that this fact was deduced from ayats and hadiths. The reason why these were said only about martyrs is that Muslims, thinking that martyrs would become annihilated as they died, would hesitate in participating in jihad. It is for the purpose of removing the doubt which would prevent Muslims from going on jihad and being martyred. The 31st ayat al-karima of Surat al-Isra, "Do not kill your children for fear of poverty!" [Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab misused this ayat for forbidding visiting graves.] is in this same sense. Although it is not permissible to kill even when there is no fear of poverty, the ayat al-karima was revealed at a time of particular events when many children were killed for fear of poverty.

Thus far, we conveyed the documents from Ahmad Ibn Taymiyya al-Harrani's book. The Wahhabis say that they follow Ibn Taymiyya and that he is a prominent alim. They call him "Shaikh al-Islam." Whereas they do not accept his books and ideas. He says that all the dead, like martyrs, are alive and are given blessings. How can one believe those who claim to follow him while they disapprove his words and regard the people who approve his words as unbelievers and polytheists? These idiots who say that Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) does not hear, see, know or recognize those who visit and entreat him, in fact, follow neither Ibn Taymiyya nor anybody, but their own nafs and desires. May Allahu ta'ala give wisdom to them and show them the right path! Amin!

One of the proofs documenting that the dead see the living is the hadith ash-Sharif, "Every dead person is shown his [future] place in the next world every morning and every evening. The one who deserves Paradise is shown his place in Paradise, and the one who deserves Hell is shown his place in Hell," which is related by al-Bukhari. The word 'shown' means that they see. "They" declared Allahu ta'ala, referring to the people of Pharaoh, "are shown the fire every morning and evening!" 'Shown' would mean nothing if the dead did not see. Abu Nuaym related on the authority of 'Amr ibn Dinar, "An angel holds the soul when a person dies. The soul watches the body being washed and shrouded. 'Hear how men praise you,' he is told." A hadith ash-Sharif narrated on the authority of 'Amr ibn Dinar by Ibn Abi 'd-dunya declares: "A person knows what happens to his household after his death. He looks at those who wash and shroud him." The hadith sahih quoted by al-Bukhari declares: "The angels munkar and nakir, after questioning, say, 'look at your place in Hell! Allahu ta'ala changed it and granted you a place in Paradise.' He looks and sees both of them."

A hadith ash-Sharif quoted by Ibn Abi 'd-dunya and by al-Baihaki in Shu'ab al-iman on the authority of Abu Huraira (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anhum) declares, "When a person comes near the grave of an acquaintance of his and greets, the dead person recognizes and greets him. If he comes near the grave of a person he does not know and greets, the dead person answers him." This hadith ash-Sharif, too, indicates that the dead see the person who visits or stands by their graves. If they did not see, it would not have been noted in the hadith ash-Sharif that a dead person answers the greeting of someone whom he did not know before death. The former recognizes and answers; the latter does not know but still answers the greeting.

Imam Ahmad and Hakim reported Hadrat 'Aisha (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anha) as saying, "When I used to go in my room after my husband and father were buried there, I would take off my overcoat. I never took it off after Hadrat 'Umar (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh) was buried. Because, he was not my near kin. I was restrained by my sense of modesty because he was there." It was declared in a hadith ash-Sharif quoted in the book Arbain at-ta'iyya, "A dead person is pleased when a person whom he loved in this world visits him." This hadith ash-Sharif affirms that the dead person sees the visitor. He would not recognize or be pleased if he did not see. 'Amr ibn al-As (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh) is quoted in the Sahih of Muslim as saying just before his death: "Throw soil on me when you bury me! Then, stay by my grave for the amount of time that it would take to slaughter an animal and cut it into pieces. Seeing you around, I may get used to my grave and thus answer easily the questioning angels sent by my Rabb." There are many such reliable narrations about the fact that the dead hear and see in their graves. We have quoted as many as necessary. I think there is no need to write any more.

We have written above that the deeds of the living people are shown to the dead. They would not be shown the deeds if they did not have any sense of sight. Because, as it is understood, 'they are shown the deeds' means that they are shown the things recorded by the kiraman katibin angels on either shoulder. And this shows that the dead see. We, therefore, after explaining the fact that the dead see, deemed it proper to note the hadiths documenting that the deeds of the living people are shown to the dead.

Ignoramuses do not understand these teachings. It is because they have not heard Rasulullah's (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) sunnat and hadiths about this subject. These men, who take themselves to be scholars, are so ignorant and so stupid that they ask, "How do prophets and awliya' know those who visit heir graves and ask for intercession and entreat them?" We say, "Many things were made known to those great men when they were alive. Why should they not be made known after they die?" Or, we may say, "They hear and know by Allahu ta'ala's grace and benevolence outside of His usual custom." It was told in hadiths that the deeds of living people were shown to the dead. We have quoted these hadiths for the ones who do not believe it. If a person who reads but does not understand these hadiths says, "The dead know and hear only the people whom they have known in this world," we say, "The hadiths do not differentiate acquaintances from strangers." The la-madhhabi behave stubbornly. They will not believe until they die and all these things befall them.

There are a great many hadiths which state that the deeds of the Umma are shown to Rasulullah. The hadith ash-Sharif transmitted by Bazaz from reliable narrators and on the authority of Hadrat 'Abdullah ibn Masud declares: "My life is beneficial for you; you will tell it to me, and I will tell it to you. [The time after] my death, too, will be beneficial for you after I die; your deeds will be shown to me. I thank Allahu ta'ala when I see your good deeds. And I ask for forgiveness and absolute remission for you when I see your bad deeds." This hadith ash-Sharif was reported with the affirmation, 'I heard Rasulullah say...' Some other trustworthy narrators transmitted this hadith as "mursal." As for the hadith ash-Sharif which states that one's deeds and actions are shown to one's acquaintances, it declares, "Your deeds are made known to your dead relatives and acquaintances. They become happy when they see your good deeds. Upon seeing your bad deeds, they say, 'Oh our Rabb! Help this brother attain the right path as You have made us attain it. [Only] after that may You take his soul.' " This hadith ash-Sharif was quoted by Imam Ahmad, by al-Hakim at-Tirmidhi in Nawadir al-usul and by well-known hadith scholar Muhammad ibn Ishaq Ibn Manda. As great hadith scholar Sulaiman Abu Dawud at-Tayalisi reported in his Musnad, on the authority of Jabir ibn 'Abdullah, the Prophet said: "Your deeds are shown to your dead relatives and acquaintances. They become happy if your deeds are good. If they are not good, they say, 'Oh our Rabb! Inspire their hearts with good deeds." Ibn Abi Shaiba, in his book Al-musannaf, and al-Hakim at-Tirmidhi and Ibn Abi'd-dunya narrate, on the authority of Ibrahim ibn Maisara, that Abu Ayyub al-Ansari went on jihad to Istanbul [Constantinople], where he heard a passer-by say, "The deeds done at noon are shown to the dead in the evening. The deeds done in the evening are shown to them in the morning." "What do you say?" asked Hadrat Abu Ayyub, and the man answered, "By Allah, I say this for you!" Abu Ayyub prayed, "Oh my Rabb! I seek refuge in Thee! Do not disgrace me for what I did near [the graves of] 'Ubadat ibnas-Samit and Sad ibn 'Ubada after they died." That person remarked, "Allahu ta'ala veils the short-comings of His servants; He makes their good deeds be seen." A hadith ash-Sharif quoted in al-Hakim at-Tirmidhi's Nawadir declares, "The deeds of human beings are presented to Allahu ta'ala on Mondays and Thursdays. To prophets, awliya' and parents, they are shown on Fridays. They become happy when they see good deeds. Their faces get brighter. Fear Allah! Do not hurt the dead!" The deeds of men are also made known to the dead whom they do not know. The hadith ash-Sharif reported by 'Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak and Ibn Abi 'd-dunya on the authority of Abu Ayyub al-Ansari (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh) declares, "Your deeds are made known to the dead. They become happy when they see your good deeds. They become sad when they see your bad deeds." It was said, "Fear Allahu ta'ala because of your brothers in the graves! Your deeds are shown to them," in a hadith ash-Sharif quoted by al-Hakim at-Tirmidhi, Ibn Abi 'd-dunya and al-Baihaki in his book Shu'ab al-iman on the authority of Numan ibn Bashir. These two hadiths refer to all the dead. Hadrat Abu 'd-darda (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh) said, "Your deeds are shown to the dead. They become happy or sad upon seeing them." Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyya quoted, in his book Kitab ar-ruh and on the authority of Ibn Abi 'd-dunya, Sadaqat ibn Sulaiman al-Jafari as saying, "I was a man of bad habits. I repented of them after my father's death. I gave up my impetuosities. Once I committed a fault. Thereupon, I dreamt of my father saying, 'Oh my son! I have been feeling comfortable in my grave with your beautiful deeds. What you do is shown to us. Your deeds have been like those of the sulaha'. But I felt very sad and ashamed of what you did recently. Do not make me feel ashamed among the dead nearby." " This narration reflects that the dead who are not acquaintances can also be aware of the events in the world. Because, his father said, "Do not make me feel ashamed among the dead nearby," referring to the deeds of his son shown to him. He would not say so if the unacquainted dead did not understand that his son's deeds were being shown to the father. We also quoted above the hadith ash-Sharif, related by Hadrat Khalid ibn Zaid Abu Ayyub al-Ansari (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh), stating that the deeds in this world were shown to all the dead whether acquainted or not.

PART FOUR. The dead's visiting and meeting one another was stated in sahih khabars. It was declared, "Make good shrouds for your dead people! They visit one another and praise themselves in their graves," in a hadith narrated by Harith ibn Abi Usama [al-Baghdadi, d. 282 A.H. (895)], 'Ubaid-Allah ibn Said al-Wayili [d. 440 A.H. (1048)], in his book Ibana, and [Muhammad ibn 'Umar al-Hijazi] al-'Uqaili [d. 322 A.H. (934)] on the authority of Jabir ibn 'Abdullah. A hadith ash-Sharif in the Sahih of Muslim declares, "Those who undertake the funeral duties of their brothers, make their shrouds good!" This is because, the dead visit and praise themselves to one another. It was declared, "Make the shrouds of your dead people nice! Because, they visit one another wearing their shrouds," in a hadith ash-Sharif narrated by Abu Huraira. The hadith ash-Sharif quoted by [Muhammad] at-Tirmidhi [d. Bag, 320 A.H. (932)], Muhammad Ibn Maja [d. Kazvin, 273 A.H. (866)], Muhammad ibn Yahya al-Hamadani [al-Misri ash-Shafi'i, d. 347 A.H. (959)], in his Sahih, ['Abdullah] Ibn Abi'd-dunya [d. Baghdad, 281 A.H. (894)] and [Ahmad Abu Bakr] al-Baihaki [d. Baihak, Nishapur, 458 A.H. (1066) (rahmat-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihim ajmain)], in his Shu'ab al-iman, on the authority of Abu Qatada, declares, "He who performs the funeral service for his brother-in-Islam should make his shroud neat! Because, they visit one another in their graves."

Ibn Taymiyya, in various parts of his fatwas, says, "The dead visit one another whether the cities where they were buried are near or far away. The souls of the dead buried at distant cities meet one another." The Hanafi 'ulama' write in books of fiqh that it is sunnat that the shrouds be nice, because the dead praise themselves to one another and visit one another. In fact, the 'ulama' of all the madhhabs write so in their books of fiqh. Many amazing khabars and narrations confirming this fact have been reported. Those who wish to read more on this subject may refer to the book Sharh as-sudur by Hadrat Imam as-Suyuti, a scholar of hadith. The la-madhhabi say that they trust in the 'ulama' of hadith, quote many hadiths as proofs and documents from books of hadith and claim that Ibn Taymiyya was the greatest alim of Islam. They read the books of hadith which write that the dead see and hear in a way we do not know and understand, yet they do not believe them and label as 'unbelievers' or 'polytheists' those who believe that Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) and awliya' hear. They claim that those pilgrims who say, "Oh Rasul-Allah! Intercede for us!" in front of Rasulullah's blessed tomb are polytheists. They say that hundreds of thousands of animals sacrificed by hundreds of thousands of pilgrims at Mina [near Mecca] are najs (impure according to Islam) and, therefore, they do not eat them but cover them with soil with bulldozers. They say, "The animals slaughtered by polytheist[!] should not be eaten or sold."

PART FIVE. The dead know what living people do in the world even without it being shown to them. Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyya, whom the la-madhhabi call an 'allama and esteem greatly, wrote in his book Kitab ar-ruh as follows:

"Hafiz (scholar of hadith) Abu Muhammad 'Abd al-Haqq al-Ashbili [al-Maliki (rahimah-Allahu ta'ala), d. 497 A.H. (1104) gives detailed information on this subject. The dead ask questions about the deeds of the living and understand their words and actions." On the next page of his book, he quotes 'Amr ibn Dinar as saying, "One knows about the changes happening with what he left behind as he dies. He sees and watches the people who wash and shroud him." On the following page, Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyya writes: "Sa'b ibn Jusama [He was the son of Zainab bint Harb, the sister of Abu Sufyan. He passed away during the caliphate of Hadrat Abu Bakr.] and 'Awf ibn Malik adopted each other as brothers in the next world. They agreed that the one who died first would appear in the dream of the other. Sa'b died first and appeared in 'Awf's dream, who asked, 'What did Allahu ta'ala do about you?' Sa'b said, 'He forgave me.' At the end of the conversation, Sa'b said, 'I am being informed of all the deeds of my acquaintances since my death to such details that, for instance, I now know that our cat died... days ago. My daughter will die within six days. You be the trustee after her.' It happened as he said in the dream." Next he narrates that Thabit ibn Qays appeared in the dream of one of Khalid ibn Walid's (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anhuma) soldiers and said to him, "Go and tell Khalid ibn Walid that one of the Muslim soldiers came and took my steel shirt off my body to his tent after I was martyred. His tent is at the other end of the camp. A horse with a long halter grazes near his tent. May he take my shirt from that soldier." Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyya says, "The man told his dream to Khalid. They went to that tent and found the shirt therein."

PART SIX. Al-Imam as-Suyuti quotes in his book Sharh as-sudur the hadith ash-Sharif related by [Abu Nasr Shahr-dar] ad-Dailami [d. 558 A.H. (1164)] on the authority of our mother 'Aisha (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anha) about the fact that the dead are hurt by the news from the living. This hadith ash-Sharif declares: "One gets offended in his grave by whatever he would have been offended by when he was [alive] at home." In his work At-Tazkira, al-Imam al-Qurtubi wrote, "Allahu ta'ala makes the dead know about the deeds of the people of this world through an angel or by a symbol, a sign or by some other means." Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyya, in Kitab ar-ruh, wrote, "One of the evidences indicating that the souls of the living meet those of the dead is that the living see the dead in dreams and ask them questions. The dead may inform the living about the things they do not know. Their answers about the past and the future turn out to be true. They often tell the places where they have buried something about which they had not talked to anybody when they were alive. It has been frequently seen also that the dead tell about those who owed them something and who witnessed the borrowing. They have also revealed many times about something they had done secretly, not known to anybody, and the things have turned out as they reported. Another very amazing phenomenon is that the person about whom they said would die on a certain date would die on that date. And it has been often seen that a secret deed of a living man has been revealed to another by a dead person. Sa'b and Thabit, as mentioned before, talked with living persons in dreams after they were dead." Al-Imam as-Suyuti quoted in his Sharh as-sudur Muhammad ibn Seerin (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh) as saying, "What the dead reveal is all true, because the dead are in a world where there is no lie or mistake. The people of that world always tell the truth. Our observations and comprehension affirm these words of ours." Ibn al-Qayyim and others said so, too. Because the soul is latif [ethereal], it comprehends the events which cannot be perceived through the sense organs. Hakim [Muhammad an-Nishapuri, d. 405 A.H. (1014)] and al-Baihaki, in his book Dala'il, narrate that Sulaiman [ibn Yasar, ex-slave freed by Maimuna (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh), d. 107 A.H. (726)] went once to Hadrat Umm Salama, who was then weeping, and asked why she was weeping. She said, "I dreamt of Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam). He was weeping. There was soil on his blessed head and beard. I asked, 'Why is your blessed face so?' 'I saw my [grand] son Husain get martyred,' he said." [Wali ad-din Muhammad] Al-Khatib at-Tabrizi [ash-Shafi'i, d. 749 A.H. (1347)], too, quotes this in his book Mishkat al-MasAbih. Ibn Abi 'd-dunya (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaih) reports a grave-digger of the Bani Asad tribe as saying, "I was in the graveyard one night. A voice from a grave called, 'Oh 'Abdullah!' Another replied, 'What do you want, oh Jabir?' The first one said, 'Our brother will come to us tomorrow.' 'He will not be of any use to us. People will not pray for us [after he is buried beside us]. My father is angry with him and had sworn not to pray for him,' answered the other. The next morning a man came and told me to dig a grave in between the two graves. He was pointing at those two graves from which I heard the conversation the night before. 'What are the names of the persons in these graves?' I asked. 'This is Jabir and that is 'Abdullah,' he pointed out. I told him what I heard that night. 'Yes, it is true that I swore not to pray for him. But now I will break my oath and pray, but expiate (kaffara) for it,' he said."

PART SEVEN. It is written in reliable books that, by Allahu ta'ala's permission, the dead do work, and many things are witnessed from them. Hadith scholar al-Imam as-Suyuti, in his book Al-mutaqaddim, and hafiz [Ahmad] Ibn Hajar [al-Askalani, d. Egypt, 852 A.H. (1448)], in his fatwas, say, "The souls of believers are at the maqam (stage, place) named 'Illiyyin, and those of disbelievers are in the place called Sijjin. Every soul is bound to his body in an unknown way. This attachment is not like the relations in this world. This relation is like that of a person and what he sees in his dream. But the attachment of the dead to their bodies and to other things is much stronger than that of living people to the things they dream. Therefore, it is not difficult to find an agreement between the above explanations and the statement. 'The souls are by their graves,' by [Hafiz Yusuf] 'Abd al-Birr [al-Maliki, d. Shatiba, Andalusia (Spain), 463 A.H. (1071)]. The souls are permitted to affect and dispose (tasarruf) their bodies and be present in their graves. If a corpse is transferred to another grave, the attachment of the soul to the body will not be disturbed. This attachment will not fade even after the body decays and its earthen substances, liquids and gases diffuse into the soil." Al-Imam as-Suyuti said, "The hadith narrated by Ibn 'Asakir on the authority of 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas shows that souls are permitted to attach to and to dispose their bodies even while they are at 'Illiyyin: Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) declared, 'One night Jafar Tayyar came to me. There was an angel with him. It had two wings. The tips of the wings were stained with blood. They were going to the valley of Beesha in Yaman,' after Jafar Tayyar had been martyred. It was declared in a hadith ash-Sharif, 'I saw Jafar ibn Abi Talib among angels. They were giving the good news of the coming rain to the people of Beesha,' which was related by Ibn 'Adi on the authority of 'Ali ibn Abi Talib. Hadith scholar Hakim reported 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas as saying that he was sitting by Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam), and Asma' bint 'Umais was also present; Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam), after saying "Alaikum salam," declared: 'Oh Asma! Your husband Jafar came to me with [Archangels] Jabrail and Mikail just a moment ago. They greeted me. I answered their greeting. He said, "I fought with disbelievers in the Battle of Muta for a few days. I got wounded on seventy-three points all over my body. I held the flag with my right hand. Then my right arm was cutoff. I held the flag with my left hand, them my left arm was cut off. Allahu ta'ala gave me two wings instead of my two arms: I fly with Jabrail and Mika'il. I fly out from Paradise whenever I wish. And I go in and eat its fruits whenever I wish." ' Upon this, Asma' said, 'May Allahu ta'ala's favors do good to Jafar! But I am afraid people will not believe it when they hear it. Oh Rasul-Allah! Would you tell them on the minbar! They will believe you.' Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) honored the majid and ascended the minbar. After praising and glorifying Allahu ta'ala, he said, 'Jafar ibn Abi Talib came to me with Jabrail and Mikail. Allahu ta'ala has granted him two wings. He greeted me.' Then he repeated what he had told Asma' about her husband." These hadiths reveals that Allahu ta'ala permits His martyred and pious servants to do useful deeds for men. The 'ulama' of hadith wrote many khabars conveying such information confirming this fact. Imam Jalal ad-din as-Suyuti reports one of them: "Ibn Abi 'd-dunya said: Abu 'Abdullah ash-Shami went to fight against the Byzantines. They were pursuing the enemy. Two Muslim soldiers departed from the main body of the army. One of them said, 'We saw the enemy commander and attacked him. We fought for a long time. My friend fell martyred. I gave up fighting and turned back and looked for our fellow soldiers. Then I said to myself, "Shame on you! Why do you flee?" and turned back and attacked the enemy commander. My sword blow missed him. He attacked me, knocked me down and sat on my chest. He made a grab at something to kill me with. Just at that moment, my martyred friend sprang up and caught the enemy by his hair and pulled him back. We together killed the unbeliever. Talking to each other, we walked to a distant tree where my friend again lay down dead. I came to my Muslim brothers and told them what had happened.' " The author of the book Rawdat al-'ulama', Hanafi scholar az-Zandawisti, [Another book of Husain Ibn Yahya az-Zanduwisti al-Bukhari Rawdat al-ulama, is famous, too. He passed away in 400 A.H. (1010).] quotes and the author of the book zubdat al-fuqaha' narrated this event too. Hadith scholar [Ahmad] al-Mahamili ash-Shafi'i [d. Baghdad, 415 A.H. (1024)] 'Abd al-'Aziz ibn 'Abdullah as saying, 'We were in Damascus with a friend. His wife was with him, too. I already knew that their son had been martyred. A cavalryman approached us. My friend welcomed him. "This is our son," he said to his wife. "May Satan be far from you," she said, "You are wrong. Did you forget that your son was martyred long ago?" The man felt regret for what he said. But he went close to the cavalryman and, after looking carefully, said, "By Allah! This is our son!" The woman was compelled to look and cried, "By Allah! It's him!" My friend asked, "You were martyred, my son, were you not?" The cavalryman said, "Yes Father! But, 'Umar ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz has just died now [in 101 A.H. (720)]. We martyrs asked our Rabb for permission to visit him. I asked for permission also to greet you." He bid farewell and departed from them. soon it was heard that 'Umar ibn 'Abd al-Aziz had passed away.' " Al-Imam as-Suyuti adds, "These khabars are genuine and true. The 'ulama' of hadith wrote them with their documents. Al-Imam ['Afif ad-din 'Abdullah] Yafii [ash-Shafi'i (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaih), d. Mecca, 768 A.H. (1367),] wrote the last one. I also repeated it to support his writing." Many such events are written in as-Suyuti's book. Those who wish to read further may refer to that book.

Al-Imam al-Yafii wrote: "Seeing the dead in good or bad conditions is what Allahu ta'ala grants to some of His servants as a kashf or karama. It is for the purpose of giving good news to the living, of giving admonition, of mediating benefactions on behalf of the dead or of helping the [dead's] debts to be paid. The dead are seen mostly in dreams. Nevertheless, there are people who see them when they are awake. This is a karama for walis and men of hal." In another place in his book, he wrote: "The 'ulama' of Ahl as-Sunnat declare that the souls of the dead in 'Illiyyin or Sijjin are sent back to their bodies in graves occasionally, that is, when Allahu ta'ala wishes. This happens mostly on Friday nights. The dead meet and talk with one another. Those who deserve Paradise attain blessings. Those who are to be tortured are tortured. Souls are given blessings or tortures in 'Illiyyin and Sijjin respectively even though their bodies are not there. In the grave, however, both the soul and the body are granted blessings or punished." Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyya says in his book Kitab ar-ruh: "It can be concluded from these records [of events] that the state (hal) of the soul varies with its strength or weakness, greatness or humbleness. The states of great souls are not the same as those of others. It is known that the souls in this world have different states depending on their strength or weakness or speed. Compared to the soul who is controlled by the body, the soul who has escaped the slavery, connection and disposition of his body has a different strength, influence, ability to help, speed and relation to Allahu ta'ala and to the world of substances. The soul itself is superior, pure, great and capable of great help. He becomes more than he is after he departs from the body. He can do many other things. The souls of the dead are seen in dreams and can do extraordinary things they were not able to do when they were alive and attached to their bodies. It has been witnessed many a time that one, two or several persons have overcome a big army. Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam), Abu Bakr and 'Umar (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anhuma) many times were seen in dreams, their causing a disbelieving and unjust enemy's rout and defeat. What we have written here is compatible with the tafsirs by some mufassirs of the fifth ayat of Surat an-Nazi'at, for example, the interpretation of [Qadi 'Abdullah] al-Baidawi [ash-ShiRazi, d. Tebriz, 685 A.H. (1281)]: 'The soul of a wali goes to the world of angels when he departs from the body. Then he goes to wander in Paradise's gardens. He keep us a relation with his body, too, and influences it.' "

PART EIGHT. It was revealed by Allahu ta'ala and His Rasul that it is permissible for the living to be cognizant of the blessings and punishments in graves and to see it with their bodily eyes. The 'ulama' of the Ahl as-Sunnat wal-Jamaat report unanimously that there is blessings or punishment in the grave and that it is necessary to believe that it happens both to the soul and the body. This is explained in books of aqa'id in detail. Only the Mutazila and Kharijis do not believe in the punishment in the grave. It is evident from hadiths, the athars of as-Sahabat al-kiram (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anhum ajmain) and the written works of Salaf as-salihin that there is punishment in the grave. Some ignorant people do not believe it because they do not know of these documents. It will be useful to note some of these documents to strengthen their iman.

As dealt with above, prophets are alive in their graves with a kind of life we do not know. It is reported [in the Sahihain] by al-Bukhari and Muslim that they performed hajj after they died. As for the people who are not prophets, Abu Nuaym quotes Thabit al-Banani as saying, "I asked Hamid at-Tawil, 'Do only prophets perform salat in their graves?' He said, 'No. Other people may perform it, too.' Then I said, 'Oh my Rabb! May You make it fall to Thabit's lot, too, to perform salat in his grave if You ever permit a person to perform salat in his grave!' " Again Abu Nuaym reports: Jubair said, "I swear by Allah who is the only Creator! I placed Thabit al-Banani into the grave. Hamid at-Tawil was with me, too. We covered him with soil. The soil gave way on one side. I looked into the grave and saw him performing salat." [Muhammad] Ibn Jarir [at-Tabari, d. 310 A.H. (923)], in his book Tahzib al-Athar, and Abu Nuaym narrate from Ibrahim ibn Samit that people who passed by Thabit al-Banani's grave at dawn said that they heard the Qur'an al-karim being recited from his grave. [Abu 'l-Faraj 'Abd ar-Rahman] Ibn al-Jawzi [al-Hanbali, d. 597 A.H. (1200)], too, writes this in his book Safwat as-Safwa. At-Tirmidi, Hakim and al-Baihaki quote 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas as saying, "Some Sahabis set up a tent at a place where there was a grave that could not be noticed. They heard Surat al-Mulk being recited inside the tent. Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) came in the tent after the recitation ended. When they told him what they had heard, he said, 'This honorable sura protects men from the punishment in the grave.' " In his book Kitab ar-ruh, Abu 'l-Qasim as-Sadi wrote: "This hadith ash-Sharif confirms that the dead recite [the Qur'an al-karim] in their graves. 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar, too, had set up a tent somewhere, and he heard the Qur'an al-karim being recited in the tent. He told it to Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam), who confirmed his words." Hadith scholar Zain ad-din ibn Rajab [Abu 'l-Faraj 'Abd ar-Rahman al-Hanbali, d. 795 A.H. (1393)], in his book Ahwal al-qubur, wrote: "Allahu ta'ala endows His beloved servants with performing pious deeds in their graves. The duty of performing 'ibada ends when a human being dies. 'Ibada done in the grave will not be recompensed, but the dead enjoy remembering Allahu ta'ala and performing 'ibada. So do angels and the people in Paradise. They find pleasure in worshiping, because dhikr and 'ibada are the sweetest things for pure-souled people. Those with sick souls cannot get the taste of this pleasure." Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyya, in his Kitab ar-ruh, Ibn Taymiyya, al-Imam as-Suyuti in his Sharh as-sudur, and many other 'ulama' wrote the same. Abu 'l-Hasan ibn Bara' wrote in his work Rawda, "Ibrahim, a grave-digger, said, 'I dug a grave. I perceived a smell of musk from the grave and from pieces of adobe. I looked into the grave and saw an old person reciting the Qur'an al-karim.' Muhammad ibn Ishaq ibn Manda [d. 395 A.H. (1005)] quoted 'Asim as-Suqatee as saying, 'We dug a grave in the city of Balkh. The interior of the neighboring grave became visible. A green-shrouded old person was reading the Holy Qur'an which he was holding in his hands.' " There are many such events written in this book. Hadith scholar Abu Muhammad Halal ['Abdullah al-Maliki, d. Egypt, 616 A.H. (1219),] wrote in his book Karamat al-awliya' that Abu Yusuf al-Ghasuli said he visited Hadrat Ibrahim ibn Adham in Damascus. "I saw a wonderful thing today," Hadrat Ibrahim said. "What was it?" Abu Yusuf asked. "I was standing by a grave in that graveyard. The grave split open. A green shrouded old person appeared. 'Oh Ibrahim! Allahu ta'ala brought me back to life for you. You may ask any question you wish,' he said, 'How did Allahu ta'ala treat you?' I asked. 'My bad deeds had surrounded me. [But] He said He forgave me for three reasons: Because I had loved whom He loved, because I had never drank alcoholic drinks in the world and because I had arrived in His Audience with my white beard. He declared He would be ashamed of punishing Muslims who would come to His Audience in that manner.' Then the old person disappeared in the grave." Ibn al-Jawzi wrote in his book Safwat as-Safwa: "Umm al-Aswad quoted Muaza, her wet-nurse, as saying, 'The world has become a prison for me since Abu 's-Sahba and my son got martyred. I enjoy nothing. Yet I want to live only with the hope that I might do something that would make me attain Allahu ta'ala's pleasure and in this way meet Abu 's-Sahba and my son in Paradise.' Muhammad ibn Husain said that Muaza wept when she was about to die. And then she smiled. When asked why she did so, she said, 'I was sorry because I was quitting [because of coming death] salat, fasting, reading the Qur'an al-karim and repeating Allahu ta'ala's Name. Then I saw Abu 's-Sahba. He was wearing a green, two-pieced dress. I had not seen him so when he was alive. And this is why I smiled.' Muaza had seen Hadrat 'Aisha (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anha) and narrated hadiths on her authority. Great 'ulama' such as Hasan al-Basri, Abu Qilaba and Yazid ar-Rakashi narrated hadiths from Muaza."

There have been people who witnessed the punishment in the grave. The 46th ayat karima of Surat al-Mumin says, "The fire of Hell they are to go to is shown to Pharaoh and his people every morning and evening." The hadith ash-Sharif in the Sahihain of al-Bukhari and Muslim says, "If you were able to keep it a secret, I would pray that He shall make you hear the torture in the grave as He has made me hear it." The punishment in the grave is inflicted both on the soul and the body together because they had committed unbelief and sins together. The punishment of the soul solely is not compatible with Divine Wisdom and Justice. The 'ulama' declare that, although the body is seen to decay and disappear in the grave, it exists in Allahu ta'ala's knowledge. Many Sahabis saw and told that both the souls and the bodies of the dead were tortured. Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyya, in Kitab ar-ruh, al-Imam as-Suyuti, in Sharh as-sudur, and Ibn Rajab, in his book Ahwal al-qudur, wrote: "A person said in the presence of Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam), 'I saw someone come out from the earth. A man struck him with a stick and he disappeared into the ground, and this was repeated whenever he rose from the earth.' Rasulullah remarked, 'It was Abu Jahl that you saw. He will be tortured like that until the Resurrection.' " This khabar and similar ones confirm that everyone may see what is happening inside a grave like prophets and awliya' do. Awliya's seeing can never be denied. They see by Allahu ta'ala's Qudra (Omnipotence).

All of what we have written up to here proves that the dead are alive in graves with a life unknown to us, which may be called 'grave life.' All 'ulama' of Islam have said that death is not the end of existence but a migration from one house to another. Prophets ('alaihimu 's-salawatu wa 't-taslimat) and awliya' (rahimahum-Allahu ta'ala) endeavored to disseminate Islam, so they all acquired the degree of being martyrs [after death]. It is openly stated in the Qur'an al-karim that martyrs are alive. Then, why should it be strange to make tasabbub, tashaffu' and tawassul through them? 'Tasabbub' means to ask them as causes (sabab) to help in Allahu ta'ala's Audience. 'Tawassul' means to ask them to pray for us, because they are Allahu ta'ala's beloved servants both in this world and the next. The Qur'an al-karim declares that they will attain whatever they want and that they will be granted whatever they wish. Can a person be blamed for asking of such dead people for the things that may be asked of living people? Can a person be reproved for having recourse to dead prophets and walis as causes or mediators, while he believes that Allahu ta'ala Himself alone will create the things expected from them and that there is no creator but Allah? Those who think that they decayed and became soil or nonexistent deny all these. Those who do not know Islam and cannot understand their honor and superiority do not believe. People who do not understand the honor and superiority of prophets and awliya' are ignorant of the religion. They have not comprehended Islam. Muslims whom they regard as ignorant are more learned and intelligent than they are. It was stated in hadiths and conveyed unanimously by Muslim 'ulama' that it is permissible to go to the graves of prophets ('alaihimu 's-salawatu wa 't-taslimat) and awliya', to ask Allahu ta'ala for something through their mediation and causation and to entreat them to intercede for us on the Day of Judgement. Our praise and thanks be to Allahu ta'ala who has bestowed on us the belief in the hadiths of the Highest of Mankind, Muhammad ('alaihi 's-salam), and in the books of the distinguished beloved people who have followed him! If our Rabb had not granted this great favor, we would not have been able to understand and find it out by ourselves and would have perished.

Now we shall quote the ayats which verify that it is permissible to ask Allahu ta'ala to create through prophets and awliya', that is, by taking them as causes and mediators: "Oh believers! Fear Allahu ta'ala! Seek for a means to approach Him!" (Al-Ma'ida, 38) "There are those who pray and perform 'ibada. They seek a means, a cause, to approach their Rabb. They want the cause that will take them closest to Allahu ta'ala." (Al-Isra, 57) [This ayat is written on the 97th page of the Wahhabite book, which also quotes Qatada as saying, "Approach closer to Allahu ta'ala by performing the ibada He approves," but addsthat prophets and their followers' paths were intermediaries and that they themselves were not.] In these ayats, Allahu ta'ala commands men to hold fast to the causes, the intermediaries, through which, He declares, they may approach closest to Him. He did not prescribe intermediaries as certain things. Therefore, everything which makes people attain Allahu ta'ala's approval, that is, not only [the dead's] prayers -contrary to what the Kharijis believe- but also their intercession, status and virtues in Allahu ta'ala's view and they themselves are all intermediaries. The 'ulama' of Ahl as-Sunnat have said that prophets and their followers themselves, their intercession, grades, karamat and prayers are mediators as well as the path, that is, the belief, 'ibada and ikhlas they possessed. Those who claim that they could not be mediators thus slander the Qur'an al-karim, the Hadith ash-Sharif, prophets and awliya. It is clearly stated in the Qur'an al-karim and the Hadith ash-Sharif that prophets and awliya' can be made intermediaries.

The 33rd ayat of Surat al-Anfal declares, "I shall not punish those unbelievers as long as you are near them." As written in books of tafsir and [the Sahih of] al-Bukhari, the disbelievers mocked our Prophet by saying, "Tell your Allah to punish us soon." The above ayat karima was revealed upon this, declaring that the existence of Rasulullah's (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) blessed body near them prevented the punishment. It cannot be said that Rasulullah prevented the punishment by the virtue of his prophethood or by praying or interceding, because neither the unbelievers were to be prayed or interceded for nor the prophethood in which they disbelieved would do them any good.

The same ayat says, "Allahu ta'ala does not punish them because they ask for forgiveness." Most of Salaf as-salihin said that this ayat karima meant, "I do not punish them because they will have children who will ask for forgiveness." Allahu ta'ala declared, "I do not punish them," for He had decreed in the eternity to have kafirs' descendants believe. Therefore, according to the 'ulama' who said so, the motes of the coming Muslims in the blood of the kafirs were the causes which prevented the punishment.

Allahu ta'ala declares, "The earth would be upset if Allahu ta'ala had set mankind free against one another." (Al-Baqara, 251; al-Hajj, 40) Some 'ulama' of tafsir interpreted this ayat karima as, "The world would have been in utter disorder if Allahu ta'ala had created no believer, but solely unbelievers. The [existence of] bodies of believers protect the world against disorder." Salvation is in man himself and cannot be attained as a result of his deeds. This is why it was declared, "A human being is Said (good) or shaqi (bad) before he comes to this world," in a hadith ash-Sharif. It is in appearance that good deeds affect being Said, but it is not so in reality. This is why it was declared, "A person commits bad deeds which will take him to Hell; he nears Hell. If he is Said in Umm al-kitab, that is, in Divine Knowledge, he does something which will take him to Paradise in his last days and goes to Paradise," in a hadith ash-Sharif. Man's deeds do not take him to Paradise. They act as causes for his going to Paradise. And that is why a hadith ash-Sharif says, "No one is to go to Paradise for his good deeds or 'ibadat." When it was asked, "Is it the same for you, Oh Rasul-Allah?" he answered, "It is the same for me, too. I am to attain salvation only through Allahu ta'ala's Mercy and Benevolence." One cannot say that a man who performs good deeds and 'ibadat will certainly go to Paradise. But it can be said that a man who was determined to be Said in eternity will certainly go to Paradise. Being Said or shaqi does not depend on man's deeds, but on his very person (or essence, dhat). It was for his blessed person that Allahu ta'ala chose Muhammad (alaihi 's-salam) from among men and made him superior to His other prophets. Every believer acknowledges this. It is the same for the superiorities of rasuls, nabis and walis. Degree, rank and every superiority depends on one's dhat, which does not depend on rank in turn. [For example, a man is not valuable because he is a general, but he has become a general because he is a valuable person.] Then, it has become apparent that the Wahhabite claims, such as "The matter, objects and persons cannot be causes," are wrong. Ayats, hadiths and Rasulullah's (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) sunnat show that they are on a wrong and heretical path.

A hadith ash-Sharif says, "Our sick people recover by means of the blessings of our soil and the saliva of one of us and by Allahu ta'ala's permission." Allahu ta'ala grants health if someone mixes clean soil with his clean saliva and gives it to a sick person as medicine. Soil and saliva, or the medicines of a druggist with certain effects, are all substances, materials, that is, they are dhats. They cannot be thought to have rank or virtue or to intercede. It is declared, "The Zamzam water has uses according to the intention of the one who drinks it," in a hadith sahih in the Sahih of Imam Muslim ash-Shafi'i (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaih). Zamzam water, when drank with the intention of obtaining whatever use, whether it pertains to this world or the hereafter, renders that use. This has been witnessed many times. Everyone knows that Zamzam water is a dhat, a substance, and cannot be thought to affect through its rank or to pray and intercede so that it may give health and help.

As defined in a hadith sahih and unanimously reported by all scholars of fiqh, the place o visiting (tawaf) between the door of the Kaba and the stone, Hajar al-aswad, is called Multazam. If someone touches his belly to the wall of the Kaba at this place and, making Multazam a means for the acceptance of his prayer, entreats Allahu ta'ala, He protects him against loss and defect. This has been experienced many times. As everyone knows, Multazam is a group of several stones in the wall of the Kaba. These stones are dhats, that is, materials. As Allahu ta'ala has given certain peculiarities to each substance, so He has given these stones the property of being a means for goodness, for good use. [As He has given aspirin the effect to relieve pain, quinine to kill malarial plasmodia, and alcoholic drink to cause intoxication, so He has given these stones the effect of being a means for the acceptance of prayers, unlike other stones.]

Such useful effects have been given to the visiting-place under the spout on the northern side of the Kaba, to the place named Maqam al-Ibrahim, which is opposite the door of the Kaba in Masjid al-Haram, and to kissing and touching with the hand or face Hajar al-aswad, the black stone on one corner of the Kaba. Allahu ta'ala has given these substances the effect of making acceptable the prayers of those who recommend themselves through them, that is, who pray putting them as intermediaries. While it is known, seen and believed that these substances act as means for the acceptance of prayers, wouldn't it be possible that prayers will be accepted through the mediation of Rasulullah and Allahu ta'ala's beloved servants who follow him? If someone dares to say that the established beneficial causation or mediation of earthly soil, some certain people's saliva, Zamzam water, the stones of Multazam, Maqam al-Ibrahim, where there are the footprints of the Prophet Ibrahim's blessed feet, and Hajar al-aswad does not prove the graves of prophets and awliya' to be causes or intermediaries, these words of his show that he is ignorant of Islam and is not ashamed of Allahu ta'ala and Rasulullah and Muslims. For this reason, as-Sahabat al-kiram ('alaihimu 'r-ridwan) esteemed Rasulullah's (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) honorable personality very much and respected him very deeply.

'Urwat ibn Masud as-Saqafi's words which were quoted by al-Bukhari and others were well known: "I went to Rasulullah as the envoy for the unbelievers for the Hudaibia Peace. Afterwards, I returned to Mecca and said to the notables of the Quraish, 'As you know, I have visited Persian shahs called Chostroe, Byzantian kings called Caesar and Abyssinian sovereigns called Negus many times. I have not seen them respected in any way as much as Muhammad ('alaihi 's-salam) is respected by his companions. I did not see his saliva fall to the ground -his companions catch it with their hands and rub it on their faces and eyes. Rushing to catch the water he used while taking ablution, they save it for its blessing. His companions catch every hair of his before it falls to the ground when his hair is cut or beard is trimmed, and they keep it as a most precious gem. They cannot look at his face because of their respect for him and modesty.' " It is understood from this report how much as-Sahabat al-kiram respected the tiny particles from Rasulullah's (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) dhat, even the things which may be regarded as dirty and ugly by other people. Can it be said that this deep respect and modesty were because his blessed saliva and the ablution-water which touched his blessed organs would pray or intercede for them, or had any rank or value? They were all substances. But they were valuable for having come from the most honorable dhat, his [body] material. The la-madhhabi, although they say that they are real religious men and monotheists, hold Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) equal to the idol al-Lat. They liken to idolatry what Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) and his Companions (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anhum ajmain) had done and ordered. We seek refuge in Allah from saying, thinking or believing as they do.

There are so many hadiths which confirm that it is permissible to ask for a wish from Allahu ta'ala by putting prophets ('alaihimu 's-salawatu wa 't-taslimat) and distinguished, beloved awliya, who have followed them, as intermediaries, that our wicked enemies cannot ever answer them. They fall into utter bewilderment. As it is written in the books of al-Bukhari and Muslim, Asma' bint Abi Bakr (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anha wa Abiha), showing a silken-collar, green gown (jubba) of our Prophet to the people around her, said, "Hadrat 'Aisha had this gown with her. I took it after her death. We cure our sick people by putting it on. Our sick people get well by wearing it." As it is seen as-Sahabat al-kiram ('alaihimu 'r-ridwan) used that gown as a means to restore health, because Allahu ta'ala's beloved Prophet (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa Alihi wa sallam), the possessor of all kinds of superiorities, had worn it.

Al-Hamidi quotes 'Abdullah ibn Mawhib in his book, which he composed from the two sahih books [of al-Bukhari and Muslim], as saying, "My wife gave me a cup of water and sent me to our mother Umm Salama. Hadrat Umm Salama brought a silver box. These was Rasulullah's (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) blessed beard in it. She stirred the water in the cup with the blessed [hairs of] beard and took it out. People who were struck by an evil eye or had some other trouble used to bring water and have it done so and recovered health by drinking it. I looked into the silver box and saw a few red hairs."

Al-Hamidi quotes Sahl ibn Sad in the same book: "Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) gave me his blessed shirt as a gift. My mother wanted to take it from me. 'I shall keep it for my shroud,' I told her. She said, 'I wanted to get blessings from our master Rasulullah's (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) blessed shirt.' " It is seen that the Prophet's Companions used his blessed shirt as a means and a cause to attain salvation from punishment [in the next world].

It is written by al-Bukhari and Muslim that Umm Salim said, "Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) was sleeping near me. His blessed face was in pearls of sweat. He woke up while I was collecting his sweat and putting it some where. 'Oh Umm Salim! What are you doing?' he asked. 'Oh Rasul-Allah! I want our children to be blessed with your sweat,' I said, 'You are doing well,' he said." In the commentary of the book Masabih, Ibn Malak wrote: "This hadith ash-Sharif shows that it is permissible to seek Allahu ta'ala's approval through the things that the superiors of tasawwuf, 'ulama' and sulaha' used."

Imam Muslim wrote in his Sahih: "Medinans used to take cups of water to Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) after he performed the morning salat. He would dip his blessed hands into every cup." And Ibn al-Jawzi wrote in his Bayanu 'l-mushkeeli 'l-hadith: "Thus, Medinans would attain blessings through Rasulullah. It is better that an alim should not refuse those who come to him to attain blessings in this way." It is understood from this statement of Ibn al-Jawzi and the writings of al-Imam an-Nawawi in the commentary to the Sahih of Muslim, of Qadi 'Iyad in Sharh-i Muslim and of the Hanafi alim Ibn Malak that this way of asking for blessings and advantages, contrary to what the Kharijis think, is not peculiar to Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) only. [It is obvious that the Kharijis either do not know of these scholars' books or knowingly persist in obstinacy which means they have evil inventions and thoughts.]

Al-Bukhari quoted Ibn Sirin in his Sahih: "It fell to my lot to have a piece of our master Rasulullah's blessed beard. I mentioned it to 'Ubaida. 'I would like more than anything else in the world to have a hair of that blessed beard,' he said."

Al-Bukhari wrote that Anas ibn Malik, who had the honor of being is Rasulullah's (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) service for a long time willed that a hair of the blessed beard be buried with him, wishing to enter Allahu ta'ala's Audience with it. It is written in the book Shifa': "One of Rasulullah's (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) superiorities and karamat and blessings is this: Khalid ibn Walid (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh) used to carry in his turban a hair of the blessed beard of Rasulullah. He won all the battles in which he had that hair with him." Why, then, should not the wishes be granted by Allahu ta'ala when Rasulullah's (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) blessed person is intended as a intermediary, while Khalid attained his wishes due to a blessed hair of his? Al-Imam al-Busuri (rahmat-Allahi 'alaih), the great scholar of Islam and a lover of Rasulullah, expresses this subtlety very beautifully in Qasidat al-Burda.

Al-Bukhari and Muslim quote 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas in their Sahihain as saying, "Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) came by two graves. He understood that both of them were in torture. He asked for a date branch. He broke it into two and planted them on the graves. 'Their suffering will be less as long as these remain green,' he said." The Hadith ash-Sharif teaches that green branches of a date tree may be put on graves in order that the suffering be diminished. Allahu ta'ala lessens the torture in the grave as a blessing of green grass. Green grass is a dhat, a substance. Diminution of torture through planting is not peculiar to Rasulullah. It is an unanimity among the 'ulama' of Islam that green date branches may be planted on graves at any time. It is for this that cypresses have been planted in Muslim graveyards. Why should it not be permissible to put the most superior of all beings and creatures [the Prophet] as a cause or an intermediary, while such an object as a date branch can cause diminution of torture? Can anyone have any objections to this if he has wisdom and can think reasonably?

It is permissible to make the substance, the dhat, a means to please Allahu ta'ala. Hind, Abu Sufyan's wife, had chewed a piece of Hadrat Hamza's (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anhuma) liver during the Battle of Uhud. Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) said, "Hamza is very estimable in Allah's view, and He will not burn any part of his body in Hell." [This hadith sharif clarifies once more that Hind became a believer and will not go to Hell.] Rasulullah said, "The fire of Hell will not burn you!" to Malik ibn Sinan (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh) when he swallowed Rasulullah's blessed blood. Similarly, when 'Abdullah ibn Zubair (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh) drank his blessed blood of cupping, he did not rebuke him but said, "Many things will happen to you through men. And many things will happen to men through you." And he said, "You will never suffer stomach pain," to the woman who drank the remains of his drink. This hadith ash-Sharif is sahih, and her name was Baraka. Many 'ulama', for example, Qadi 'Iyad in his book Shifa' and al-Qastalani in Al-mawahib al-laduniyya, reported this. Oh Muslims! While even blood and similar things which once belonged to Rasulullah's (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) blessed body are causes or intermediaries for salvation from the fire of Hell and for relief of pain, why should it not be believed that his blessed body, or person, can be an intermediary or a cause for similar advantages? His blessed that was of Allahu ta'ala's Nur (Divine Light), [so] his shadow never fell on the ground. Jabir and many others (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anhum) related this. If someone says, "He cannot be taken as a mediator; he cannot be a cause for Allahu ta'ala's creating," should that person be regarded as a member of his umma or an enemy of that exalted Prophet, who is the darling of Allahu ta'ala and the highest of prophets? It has been stated in ayats that he is rahma (blessing) even for unbelievers. Why should he not be a means and cause of rahma for Muslims and Ahl as-Sunnat wal-Jamaat who love him?

The 'wasila' (intermediary, recourse) in the ayat al-karima, "Search for a wasila!" includes 'ibadat, prayers and also blessed, estimable dhats (persons, substances, themselves). The hadiths and events reported above prove this fact clearly.

There are many ayats indicating that it is permissible to ask creatures for everything, even for things which men are unable to do but Allahu ta'ala may bestow upon His awliya' as karamat. One of these ayats is the one in Surat an-Naml which quotes the Prophet Sulaiman ('alaihi's-salam) as saying, "Oh my people! Who will bring her throne here?" There were genies and men and even Satans among the people he addressed. Ifreet, one among an evil group of genies, said, "I can bring before you stand up." Sulaiman ('alaihi's-salam) said, "I want it to be brought faster." Asaf ibn Barhiya, Sulaiman's ('alaihi 's-salam) secretary, said, 'I can bring it faster." Bilqis' throne was in the Yaman, and Sulaiman ('alaihi 's-salam) was in Damascus. There was a distance of three months between the Yaman and Damascus [on foot]. He brought [her with her throne] to Damascus under the ground just at that moment. The throne was a couch ornamented with gold and jewels. This was a karama. Allahu ta'ala grants karamat, outside His usual custom or laws to His awliya', to His human servants whom He loves. Allahu ta'ala talks in praise of the karama He granted to a wali, a pious servant of His, in the Qur'an al-karim, and He did not reprove Sulaiman ('alaihi 's-salam) because he asked for this karama. He does not question, "Why did you ask someone else for this while I am closer to you than your aorta? Why did you not ask Me for something which men are not able to do and which no one else but I have the power to do?" For this reason, Sulaiman ('alaihi 's-salam) was Allahu ta'ala's Prophet. He knew that this word or wish of his was nothing but clinging to causes, which was compatible with his religion; Allahu ta'ala orders men to cling to causes. Asking Rasulullah, martyrs and salih people for something is a similar action. It is a way of making use of the karamat granted to them by Allahu ta'ala. They are causes (sabab), means (wasita) or recourses (wasila). Allahu ta'ala is the only one who creates and makes. The karamat of awliya' are [or stem] from the superiorities and mujizas of prophets (salawat-Allahi 'alaihim ajmain). Awliya' attain karamat through prophets, for they follow them.

The 89th ayat al-karima of Surat al-Baqara is one of the ayats which reveals that it is permissible to have recourse to and ask intercession of Allahu ta'ala's beloved servants, and first of all, the master of prophets, Muhammad ('alaihi 's-salam). The 'ulama' of hadith unanimously report that this ayat karima descended for the Jews of Khaibar. These Jews were in war with the Asad and Ghatfan tribes during the Jahiliyya Ages. They prayed, "Oh our Rabb! Help us for the right of the Prophet You will send in the Last Age!" while they fought, and they won victories by making an intermediary of the last Prophet. But when Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) came and proclaimed Islam, they envied and persisted in disbelieving him. In the book Badayi' al-Fara'id, Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyya wrote, "Jews were in war with their neighbor Arabs during the Jahiliyya Ages. They asked Allahu ta'ala for help through Rasulullah's blessed body before he came to this world. Allahu ta'ala helped them and they became victorious. But they did not believe Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) after he started disseminating Islam, and thus they became unbelievers. If they had not believed him before, they would have not asked for help through him." Some of the commentaries of the tafsir book by al-Baidawi quote Sad ad-din at-Taftazani [Masud ash-Shafi'i, d. Samarqand, 792 A.H. (1389)] as saying, "They [the Jews] asked for help by mentioning Rasulullah's blessed name. They made Rasulullah's blessed name an intercessor for themselves." Taqi ad-din al-Husni, a pious and ascetic alim, wrote in his book Mawlid an-Nabi: "A Muslim makes Rasulullah a mediator for his every affair when he learns of his high moral qualities, tenderness, mercy and patience and thus comprehends Rasulullah's prominence and superiority in Allahu ta'ala's esteem; because he is the intercessor, and Allahu ta'ala does not refute his intercession. He is Allahu ta'ala's mahbub (beloved). Allahu ta'ala answers the requests made through his mediation, his intercession. Allahu ta'ala announces this in the Qur'an al-karim and revealed it to His awliya'! The Qur'an al-karim explains that even the enemies of Rasulullah and all Muslims had attained their wishes by making him an intermediary, a wasila. Allahu ta'ala declares that he grave them what they wished because He loved him very much and made him the highest of all that is created. 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas related that the Jews of Khaibar used of fight with the Arab unbelievers called Ghatfan during the Jahiliyya Ages and were always defeated. After they prayed begging, 'Oh our Rabb! Help us for the sake of Your beloved Prophet whom You promised us You would send in the last Age,' they became victorious over the Ghatfan unbelievers. But they did not believe Muhammad ('alaihi 's-salam) when Allahu ta'ala sent him as the Prophet. They became unbelievers. Allahu ta'ala states this fact in the [above-mentioned] ayat al-karima. We see that Muhammad ('alaihi 's-salam) is so estimable, honorable and superior in Allahu ta'ala's view that He accepted even the prayers of unbelievers who regarded him an intermediary. Although Allahu ta'ala knew that the Jews would become the most prominent enemies of that beloved Prophet of His and that they would be very harmful for him, He accepted their prayers when they made him a wasila. While his honor and intercession were at such a degree even before he honored the world, can a wise, sensible person claim that it is a sin to make him a wasila, an intercessor, after the Prophet was sent as a blessing upon all 'alams (worlds of beings)? Hence, those who do not believe this [intercession] are worse than the Jews. The prayer of the first Prophet, Adam ('alaihi 's-salam) was also accepted when he prayed making him [Muhammad ('alaihi 's-salam)] a wasila, which is written in books of tafsir and hadith in detail. Those who understand these documents will fully see what kind of people are those who do not believe that it is permissible to have recourse to him."

Supplement: It is from their karamat and superiorities that the things asked from Allahu ta'ala are granted when prophets and awliya' are regarded as wasilas and intercessors. They possess karamat in their graves after they die, too. The 'ulama' of Ahl as-Sunnat unanimously reported that the karama is true and it is wajib to believe in it. Allah declares that awliya' have karamat; as mentioned, an ayat karima states that Sulaiman ('alaihi 's-salam) wanted the throne of Bilqis to be brought from Saba' (Sehaba), in the Yaman, to Damascus in a moment. This throne was ornamented with gold and jewels. Asaf ibn Barhiya brought it in a moment. The throne was brought without any harm to any part of it. Asaf was a wali. It was a karama of his that he brought the throne in a moment. Hadrat Mariam's karama is told in the 37th ayat-al-karima of Surat Al 'Imran in the Qur'an al-karim. Though only the Prophet Zakariyya ('alaihi 's-salam) used to go to her room, he would see fresh fruits beside Hadrat Mariam whenever he visited her. She would say that they had come from Allahu ta'ala. The 'ulama' of Ahl as-Sunnat have unanimously declared that awliya' have karamat like prophets have mujizat, since Allahu ta'ala loves very much those who obey and follow prophets. He grants them karamat, in life as well as after death. That prophets and awliya' have mujizat and karamat [respectively] even after they die confirms that they were truthful, because the disbelieving enemies who saw their mujizat and karamat when they were alive thought that they worked them after learning from others, and it is impossible to think and say so about the mujizat and karamat which occur after they passed away. Allahu ta'ala Himself creates the mujizat and karamat. They occur solely by His Power. He creates them as a benevolence and favor to His prophets and awliya', through them and through their intercession. Mujiza is [a miracle] witnessed of a prophet, and karama is that witnessed of a pious believer who is known as a follower of a prophet. Prophets are mathum, that is, they never commit any sins. The devil cannot appear in the shape or body of a prophet. Awliya' are the inheritors of prophets, and the devil cannot approach them. It was recorded in many books that the devil fled from 'Umar, 'Abdullah ibn Masud and many other Sahabis (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anhum). 'Ali 'Ushi al-Farghanawi (rahmat-Allahi 'alaih), in his qasida entitled Bad' al-Amali, says,

"Wali has karama in the world;

They are the men of benevolence."

There is nothing to be confused about in this couplet for sensible, wise people. It stresses that the karamat of awliya' occur in this world, because there was disagreement between Ahl as-Sunnat and the Mutazila about the karamat in this world. The Mutazila said that there was no karama in this world. They thought that karama would be confused with mujiza, and a prophet could not be distinguished from a wali. According to Ahl as Sunnat, the possessor of mujiza had to announce that he was a prophet while it is forbidden for the possessor of karama to say that he is a wali. It should be concluded that he is not a wali if he says so. If the la-madhhabi understood this fact, they would not dare to slander awliya' by using the ugly words of zindiqs and liars as pretexts. The above couplet means, "The karamat of a wali occur in this world, too. Allahu ta'ala grants the wishes of those who ask a wali for something or for intercession." Those with a short comprehension take this couplet as meaning that a wali has karamat in this world only and say that no karama occurs from a wali after he dies. This interpretation is completely wrong, because profound 'ulama', for example, Sharaf ad-din Khalil an-Najjari al-Yamani al-Hanafi [d. 632 A.H. (1235)], in his commentary Nafis ar-riyad to the Qasidat al-Amali, and Shaikh Ahmad, commentator of Ashbah, [and also Sayyid Ahmad Asim Effendi Ayntabi (rahmat-Allahi 'alaih), translator of Qamus who died in Istanbul in 1234 A.H. (1820), in his commentary to the Qasidat al-Amali] explained this couplet the same as we did above. It may even be said that all people are in this world [even after death] until the Resurrection, that is, the beginning of the life in the other world. This is also explained in detail in the book Nuhbat al-lali, a commentary by Muhammad ibn Sulaiman al-Halabi ar-Raihawi [d. 1288 A.H. (1813)] (rahmat-Allahi 'alaih) to the Qasidat al-Amali.

Innumerable karamat of awliya' have been seen after their death. The 'ulama' have reported them unanimously. We are now going to relate a few of them. Al-Bukhari wrote in his Sahih: "Hadrat 'Asim, a Sahabi (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh), had promised Allahu ta'ala that he would not touch any mushrik and that no mushrik should ever touch him. Disbelievers wanted to approach his corpse when they martyred him. Allahu ta'ala, to protect 'Asim from being touched, sent bees. There were so many bees that they could not come near him. This was a karama granted to 'Asim after his death... Disbelievers imprisoned Hadrat Hubaib, a Sahabi. They threatened him saying, 'We shall release you if you say that Muhammad ['alaihi 's-salam] is a liar. If you do not say so, we will kill you!' Hubaib said, 'I would sacrifice my life lest a thorn should hurt his blessed foot!' They martyred him. A few Sahabis came at night and cut the rope around the martyr. [As they took him away,] his body fell to the ground. They could not see him on the ground. They could not understand where he had gone... A Sahabi named Hanzala made haste to join Rasulullah who was going to a holy war. He had not had time to perform a ghusl. He was martyred. Angels washed him. Therefore, he became well known with the name Ghasil al-Malaika." It is written in the book Mishkat: "Hadrat 'Aisha (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anha) said, 'The Abyssinian sovereign Najashi (Negus) became a believer. I have heard many people say that nur glowed over his grave all the time.' Rasulullah reported that Hadrat 'Ali's brother Jafar, after getting martyred, went to the town of Beesha in Yaman with angels and gave them the good news that it was going to rain. A qari', that is, a hafiz, was reciting Surat al-Kahf by Hadrat Husain's (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh) blessed head. When the ayat al-karima, 'Ashab al-Kahf were astounded by Our ayats,' was recited, a voice from the blessed head [of Hadrat Husain] was heard saying, 'It is a more astonishing event to kill and drag my body than that of the Ashab al-Kahf.' Nasr al-Hazai was hanged by Caliph Mamun ibn Harun [who passed away in 218 A.H. (833)] (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaihim). A man armed with a spear was left on guard to turn Nasr's face away from the qibla. His blessed face turned towards the qibla at night. At that moment, he was heard to recite the second ayat al-karima of Surat al-'Ankabut: 'Is it thought that those who said they believed were left alone by themselves?' Surat al-Mulk was heard from a grave being recited from the beginning to the end." These events are all true and are conveyed by the 'ulama' of hadith.

Ibn 'Asakir explained that 'Umair ibn Habbab as-Salami said, "We, eight friends, were imprisoned by Byzantine Greeks at the time of the 'Umayyads. They took us to the Byzantine emperor. 'Behead them!' he ordered. I went ahead before my friends to be killed first. The priests pitied me. They were astounded by my behavior. They implored the emperor, kissing his hands and feet, so that he would forgive me. One of the priests took me to his house. He brought a beautiful girl and introduced her to me. 'This is my daughter. I will marry her to you, and you shall accept our religion,' he said. 'I will not give up my religion for a wife or wealth,' I answered. After a few days, his daughter invited me to their garden and said, 'Why don't you do as my father advises?' 'I will not resign my religion for a woman or wealth,' I answered. 'Would you like to stay here or return to your country?' she asked. I said I wanted to return home. Pointing at a star in the sky, 'Go in the direction of that star during the night and hide during the day! You will reach your country,' she said and went in. I walked for three nights. While I was hiding on the fourth day, I heard some people calling me by name. I looked out and saw my friends who had been martyred. 'Have you not been martyred?' I asked. They said, 'Yes, we have, but Allahu ta'ala now ordered martyrs to attend the funeral of 'Umar ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaih).' They were on horseback. 'Oh 'Umair! Give me your hand!' said one of them. I stretched out my hand. He gave me a lift on the back of his horse. We went fast. I found myself at home in Al-Jazira."

Ibn al-Jazwi wrote, "Abu 'Ali al-Barbari was one of the first three who settled in Tarsus. He fought against the Byzantine Greeks. He and his friends were imprisoned. The same happened to them as it had to 'Umair. They martyred his friends. A priest saved him and took him to his house. He offered his daughter to deceive him. But Allahu ta'ala granted the girl guidance [to the right path of Islam]. The two set out together. They hid during the day. They heard footsteps. He saw his two martyred friends. There were angels with them. He greeted his two friends and asked how they were. They said, 'Allahu ta'ala sent us to you. We shall witness your marriage (nikah) with this girl.' They went away after the nikah. The couple came to Damascus and long lived together. This event became well known in Damascus." [Muhammad Masum al-Faruqi as-Sirhindi left India by ship at the beginning of the year 1068 A.H. (1658) and first went to al-Madinat al-Munawwara and came to al-Makkt al-Mukarrama at the beginning of the month o