Abuhamzah
March 20th, 2005, 09:49
Assalamalaikum WRWB
I have seen numerous sites and received mail from Sufi activists who are not only promoting sufism but also trying to spread their corrupt beliefs by naming some of the great scholars of Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jama'ah for their validity and support of their belief. Can a scholar please provide some clarity on this issue and may Allaah SWT reward you. The specific issues raised by this person is as listed below:
You are asking for the specific evidence (hadith) I had refered to in my previous message in which Bilal ibn al-Harith, may Allah bless him, went to the grave of the Prophet Muhammad (Salla Allahu alayhi wa-sallam) and asked him (Salla Allahu alayhi wa-sallam) to ask Allah to give rain to the Ummah in the time of drought. Here is the specific evidence with the specific citations:
al-Bayhaqi relates with a sound (sahih) chain: It is related from Malik al-Dar, `Umar's treasurer, that the people suffered a drought during the successorship of `Umar, whereupon a man came to the grave of the Prophet and said: "O Messenger of Allah, ask for rain for your Community, for verily they have but perished," after which the Prophet appeared to him in a dream and told him: "Go to `Umar and give him my greeting, then tell him that they will be watered. Tell him: You must be clever, you must be clever!" The man went and told `Umar. The latter said: "O my Lord, I spare no effort except in what escapes my power!"
Ibn Kathir cites it from Bayhaqi in al-Bidaya wa al-nihaya and says: "isnaduhu sahih." (SOURCE: Ibn Kathir, "al-Bidaya wa al-nihaya"; 7:92.)
Ibn Abi Shayba cites it in his "Musannaf" with a sound (sahih) chain as confirmed by Ibn Hajar who says: "rawa Ibn Abi Shayba bi isnadin sahih" and cites the hadith in Fath al-bari. (SOURCE: Ibn Hajar, "Fath al-bari," Book of istisqa ch. 3 ; Beirut: Dar al-kutub al-`ilmiyya, 1410/1989; 2:629-630.)
Ibn Hajar identifies Malik al-Dar as `Umar's treasurer (khazin `umar) and says that the man who visited and saw the Prophet in his dream is identified as the Companion Bilal ibn al-Harith, and he counts this hadith among the reasons for Bukhari's naming of the chapter "The people's request to their leader for rain if they suffer drought." He also mentions it in "al-Isaba", where he says that Ibn Abi Khaythama cited it (SOURCE: Ibn Hajar, "al-Isaba"; 6:164 #8350).
This is specific and authentic evidence classified as Sahih by top-notch Huffaz that proves without a shadow of a doubt that the form of tawassul that you call "shirk" is a practice of the Salaf. May Allah Guide you out of ignorance and into the truth.
Here are some scholars who supported Sufism:
1. Imam NAWAWI. In his "al-Maqasid fi al tawhid wa al-`ibada wa usul al-tasawwuf" (The purposes in oneness, worship, and the foundations of self-purification), he writes:
"The specifications of the Way of the Sufis are five: to keep the Presence of Allah in your heart in public and in private; to follow the Sunna of the Prophet by actions and speech; to keep away from people and from asking them; to be happy with what Allah gave you, even if it is less;
to always refer your matters to Allah."
He also started writing "Bustan al-`arifin fi al-zuhd wa al-tasawwuf" (The garden of the gnostics in asceticism and self-purification), which is a precious collection of sayings of the early and late masters of tasawwuf elaborating on some of the finer points of self-purification.
2. Imam Jalal ud-din al-SUYOOTI. He wrote a book titled, "Ta'yid al-haqiqa al-`aliyya wa-tashyid al-tariqa al-shadhiliyya" (The upholding of the lofty truth and the buttressing of the Shadhili path). In it, he said:
"Tasawwuf in itself is a most honorable knowledge. It explains how to follow the Sunna of the Prophet and to leave innovation, how to purify the ego... and submit to Allah truly...
"I have looked at the matters which the Imams of Shari`a have criticized in Sufis, and I did not see a single true Sufi holding such positions. Rather, they are held by the people of innovation and the extremists who have claimed for themselves the title of Sufi while in reality they are not..."
3. Imam Junayd al-BAGHDADI said: "The Sufi is the one who wears wool on top of purity, followed the path of the Prophet, endured bodily strains dedicating his life to worship and reclining from pleasures, and left behind all that pertains to the world." (SOURCE: `Afif al-Din Abu Muhammad `Abd Allah Ibn As`ad al-Yafi`i (d. 768), Nashr al-mahasin al-ghaliya fi fadl mashayikh al-sufiyya (Beirut : Dar Sadir, 1975).
4. Imam Abu al-Qasim al-QUSHAYRI wrote a book titled, "Risala ila al-sufiyya" (Epistle to the Sufis), which is one of the early complete manuals of the science of tasawwuf.
5. Ibn Hajar al `ASQALANI. All his life he kept in touch with the Shadhili Shaykh Muhammad al-Hanafi and the latter's biographer, al-Battanuni in al-Sirr al-Safi (1:7) describes Ibn Hajar as sitting on his knees before al-Hanafi, taking care not to raise his eyes at him, then kissing his hand before walking backwards to exit the room.
Ibn Hajar in Lisan al-Mizan (5:315) praises the Futuhat al-Makkiyya. He received from Abu Hurayra Ibn al-Dhahabi, from his father Imam al-Dhahabi, the Sufi cloak of Shaykh Muhyi al-Din Ibn `Arabi according to Abu al-Mahasin al-Qaraqji (d. 1205) in "Kitab Shawariq al-Anwar al-Jaliyya fi Asanid al-Sadat al-Shadhiliyya" -- ms. Damascus 1522 fol. 59b.
6. Imam DHAHABI. He said: "Our Shaykh the ascetic Muhaddith Diya' al-Din `Isa ibn Yahya al-Ansari vested me with the Sufi cloak in Cairo saying, 'Shaykh Shihab al-Din al-Suhrawardi vested me with it in Makka from his uncle Abu al-Najib.'" (SOURCE: "Siyar A`lam al-Nubala" ;Fikr ed. 16:300-302 §5655=Risala ed. 22:377).
7. Ibn TAYMIAH. In his "al Mas'ala at tabriziyya", he says: "labistu al khirqata al-mubarakata li al Shaykh `Abd al-Qadir wa bayni wa baynahu ithan". In English: "I wore the blessed Sufi cloak of `Abd al-Qadir, there being between him and me two shaykhs." (SOURCE: Ibn Taymiyah, "al Mas'ala at tabriziyya"; Manuscript Damascus, Zahiriyya #1186 H.)
8. Even Ibn Qayyim al-JAWZIYYAH wrote his three-volume "Madarij al-salikin" as a detailed commentary on Abdullah al-Ansari's "Manazil al-sairin," a guide to the maqamat or "spiritual stations" of the Sufi path.
I have seen numerous sites and received mail from Sufi activists who are not only promoting sufism but also trying to spread their corrupt beliefs by naming some of the great scholars of Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jama'ah for their validity and support of their belief. Can a scholar please provide some clarity on this issue and may Allaah SWT reward you. The specific issues raised by this person is as listed below:
You are asking for the specific evidence (hadith) I had refered to in my previous message in which Bilal ibn al-Harith, may Allah bless him, went to the grave of the Prophet Muhammad (Salla Allahu alayhi wa-sallam) and asked him (Salla Allahu alayhi wa-sallam) to ask Allah to give rain to the Ummah in the time of drought. Here is the specific evidence with the specific citations:
al-Bayhaqi relates with a sound (sahih) chain: It is related from Malik al-Dar, `Umar's treasurer, that the people suffered a drought during the successorship of `Umar, whereupon a man came to the grave of the Prophet and said: "O Messenger of Allah, ask for rain for your Community, for verily they have but perished," after which the Prophet appeared to him in a dream and told him: "Go to `Umar and give him my greeting, then tell him that they will be watered. Tell him: You must be clever, you must be clever!" The man went and told `Umar. The latter said: "O my Lord, I spare no effort except in what escapes my power!"
Ibn Kathir cites it from Bayhaqi in al-Bidaya wa al-nihaya and says: "isnaduhu sahih." (SOURCE: Ibn Kathir, "al-Bidaya wa al-nihaya"; 7:92.)
Ibn Abi Shayba cites it in his "Musannaf" with a sound (sahih) chain as confirmed by Ibn Hajar who says: "rawa Ibn Abi Shayba bi isnadin sahih" and cites the hadith in Fath al-bari. (SOURCE: Ibn Hajar, "Fath al-bari," Book of istisqa ch. 3 ; Beirut: Dar al-kutub al-`ilmiyya, 1410/1989; 2:629-630.)
Ibn Hajar identifies Malik al-Dar as `Umar's treasurer (khazin `umar) and says that the man who visited and saw the Prophet in his dream is identified as the Companion Bilal ibn al-Harith, and he counts this hadith among the reasons for Bukhari's naming of the chapter "The people's request to their leader for rain if they suffer drought." He also mentions it in "al-Isaba", where he says that Ibn Abi Khaythama cited it (SOURCE: Ibn Hajar, "al-Isaba"; 6:164 #8350).
This is specific and authentic evidence classified as Sahih by top-notch Huffaz that proves without a shadow of a doubt that the form of tawassul that you call "shirk" is a practice of the Salaf. May Allah Guide you out of ignorance and into the truth.
Here are some scholars who supported Sufism:
1. Imam NAWAWI. In his "al-Maqasid fi al tawhid wa al-`ibada wa usul al-tasawwuf" (The purposes in oneness, worship, and the foundations of self-purification), he writes:
"The specifications of the Way of the Sufis are five: to keep the Presence of Allah in your heart in public and in private; to follow the Sunna of the Prophet by actions and speech; to keep away from people and from asking them; to be happy with what Allah gave you, even if it is less;
to always refer your matters to Allah."
He also started writing "Bustan al-`arifin fi al-zuhd wa al-tasawwuf" (The garden of the gnostics in asceticism and self-purification), which is a precious collection of sayings of the early and late masters of tasawwuf elaborating on some of the finer points of self-purification.
2. Imam Jalal ud-din al-SUYOOTI. He wrote a book titled, "Ta'yid al-haqiqa al-`aliyya wa-tashyid al-tariqa al-shadhiliyya" (The upholding of the lofty truth and the buttressing of the Shadhili path). In it, he said:
"Tasawwuf in itself is a most honorable knowledge. It explains how to follow the Sunna of the Prophet and to leave innovation, how to purify the ego... and submit to Allah truly...
"I have looked at the matters which the Imams of Shari`a have criticized in Sufis, and I did not see a single true Sufi holding such positions. Rather, they are held by the people of innovation and the extremists who have claimed for themselves the title of Sufi while in reality they are not..."
3. Imam Junayd al-BAGHDADI said: "The Sufi is the one who wears wool on top of purity, followed the path of the Prophet, endured bodily strains dedicating his life to worship and reclining from pleasures, and left behind all that pertains to the world." (SOURCE: `Afif al-Din Abu Muhammad `Abd Allah Ibn As`ad al-Yafi`i (d. 768), Nashr al-mahasin al-ghaliya fi fadl mashayikh al-sufiyya (Beirut : Dar Sadir, 1975).
4. Imam Abu al-Qasim al-QUSHAYRI wrote a book titled, "Risala ila al-sufiyya" (Epistle to the Sufis), which is one of the early complete manuals of the science of tasawwuf.
5. Ibn Hajar al `ASQALANI. All his life he kept in touch with the Shadhili Shaykh Muhammad al-Hanafi and the latter's biographer, al-Battanuni in al-Sirr al-Safi (1:7) describes Ibn Hajar as sitting on his knees before al-Hanafi, taking care not to raise his eyes at him, then kissing his hand before walking backwards to exit the room.
Ibn Hajar in Lisan al-Mizan (5:315) praises the Futuhat al-Makkiyya. He received from Abu Hurayra Ibn al-Dhahabi, from his father Imam al-Dhahabi, the Sufi cloak of Shaykh Muhyi al-Din Ibn `Arabi according to Abu al-Mahasin al-Qaraqji (d. 1205) in "Kitab Shawariq al-Anwar al-Jaliyya fi Asanid al-Sadat al-Shadhiliyya" -- ms. Damascus 1522 fol. 59b.
6. Imam DHAHABI. He said: "Our Shaykh the ascetic Muhaddith Diya' al-Din `Isa ibn Yahya al-Ansari vested me with the Sufi cloak in Cairo saying, 'Shaykh Shihab al-Din al-Suhrawardi vested me with it in Makka from his uncle Abu al-Najib.'" (SOURCE: "Siyar A`lam al-Nubala" ;Fikr ed. 16:300-302 §5655=Risala ed. 22:377).
7. Ibn TAYMIAH. In his "al Mas'ala at tabriziyya", he says: "labistu al khirqata al-mubarakata li al Shaykh `Abd al-Qadir wa bayni wa baynahu ithan". In English: "I wore the blessed Sufi cloak of `Abd al-Qadir, there being between him and me two shaykhs." (SOURCE: Ibn Taymiyah, "al Mas'ala at tabriziyya"; Manuscript Damascus, Zahiriyya #1186 H.)
8. Even Ibn Qayyim al-JAWZIYYAH wrote his three-volume "Madarij al-salikin" as a detailed commentary on Abdullah al-Ansari's "Manazil al-sairin," a guide to the maqamat or "spiritual stations" of the Sufi path.